The Value of a Wolf
by PurpledragoN1997
Summary: I have been given the responsibility of telling the tale of the Wolf. A young elf wants to prove her worth and finds the Fellowship the perfect solution. With a young "Fox" tagging along as well, the Fellowship will have their hands full. So here you have a Wolf's story. LegolasxOC.
1. Introducing a Wolf

**Good day, readers! Thank you for deciding to read this story! I hope you will enjoy it! It is my first Lord of the Rings FanFic. Some of this credit must go to my little sisters. They helped me with much of the storyline.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. That honor goes to Tolkien.**

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Our story begins in the wonderful city of Rivendell. The House of Elrond, as it is oftencalled. It truly is an eye-catching sight. The large mountains, which the city is builtalong, are a glorious view to behold. There the city stands, proud and tall, welcomingtravelers and returning residents with its many appealing features.

This story focuses on a resident of that fair city. A young Elleth named Bruineth Silverwood. She is well known in Elrond's kingdom. If her name is mentioned, you can be certain that most of the Elves will know whom you are speaking of. She doesn't mean to draw so much attention, but it happens anyway and there really is no way to avoid it. That is, unless you plan on trying to change her personality.

What is that you say? Why is she so well-known? Well, my good chap, that is somewhat of a complicated situation. It is not that people see her often; it's that they _hear_ her. She has a wonderful voice that carries throughout the city of Rivendell. There are not many places you can stand and not hear her voice.

I say! If you listen closely, you just might be able to hear her! Let us take a closer look now…

Ah, there she is! Bruineth Silverwood! If we paused this scene right here, you would get a good look at all her features. She has dark brown hair, nearly black in color, which is straight and free flowing, except for two small braids on either side of her head. She has vibrant green eyes that you will find are often labeled as an emerald color. Her height is average as far as Elves are concerned. Her pointed ears often stick out from behind her wild hair, which is currently blowing behind her as she runs into the wind.

Say what? Why is she running you ask? Well, that is another one of her unique traits. She cannot seem to stop running! She is known to always be in a hurry. To be a bit more specific, she is always chasing. Yes, chasing. Who is she chasing? Let us resume the scene and find out!

"Fiona Trambert! Get your tail back here!"

Ah, yes. I had nearly forgotten about Fiona Trambert. She is Bruineth's best friend and unofficial little sister. She is not an Elf, as you may be able to decipher from her name. No one is really certain what she is. Bruineth found Fiona as a baby. Or at least she might have been a baby. Fiona hasn't grown much height wise. Now, taking care of a child wasn't exactly easy for our young Elleth.

"Fiona! Where are you? When I get my hands on you I'm gonna… !"

What? You don't think Bruineth is an Elf because on her tongue? I will tell you that you are not the first person to respond to her behavior in that way. In fact, I believe I can safely say that everyone who meets her has come to that same conclusion.

To help you understand, there is one more fact about Bruineth that I must give you:

Bruineth "Wolf" Silverwood does NOT like being an Elf. To emphasize this point, she doesn't often act like one. She has all the extraordinary abilities that all Elves possess, yet she never uses them and hardly ever acknowledges them. It could be from the fact that her great-great-grandfather was of the race of men, but that has yet to be proved.

You may have noticed that I mentioned "Wolf" in her name. That is because it is her nickname, given to her by Fiona. In turn, Bruineth calls Fiona a Fox because Fiona has the tendency to cause trouble wherever she goes. She then conveniently disappears, causing an exasperated Bruineth to clean up the mess she has left behind. While Bruineth is busy doing that, Fiona reappears and makes another mess elsewhere. Because of this continuous cycle, Bruineth is in a foul mood by the end of the day and finds herself constantly snapping at people.

Fiona was quite an interesting addition to the city of Rivendell. She is quite short, has curly brown hair, light brown eyes, and rather large feet. Her lively attitude and sneaky ways have made her an annoyance to Bruineth on more than one occasion. Fiona has the uncanny ability to disappear when she is needed and appear when she is not. This act often gets her into more trouble than she intends. But in the end, Fiona always does her best to make people smile.

Now that you have been introduced to our main characters and have seen where their strange nicknames originated, we shall continue on with our tale.

At this particular moment in time, Bruineth is in search of her short companion who only seconds before had just polished off the last of the soup Bruineth had made for herself. With her wily ways, Fiona had been able to divert the Elf's attention for five seconds, which is all the time needed for the bowl of soup to suddenly become empty. Fiona had stayed still in her hiding place for too long, most likely trying to swallow the soup that she still held in her mouth. Because of her idleness, Bruineth found her in no time and hence began the current chase.

Back to the present: Bruineth searched the bushes for Fiona, muttering incoherent phrases under her breath. Most of them were along the lines of "Blast it all! I'll kill her for this one!" but of course we cannot be certain.

As she continued searching, she failed to realize that two figures had approached her from behind, this due to the fact that the only subject on her mind at the moment was what weapon to use on our little soup thief. The sound of a clearing throat caused her to turn around, a look of extreme annoyance on her face. Bruineth was not surprised to see Elrond's two son's watching her with equal amounts of amusement and curiosity all over their faces.

"Well now, brother. Whatever do you suppose our good friend is looking for?" Elladan said to the Half-Elf beside him.

Bruineth placed both hands on her hips and adjusted her facial features into an expression that has been dubbed the "Wolf Stare." She had spent weeks in front of a looking glass trying to perfect it, and after much trial and error, she came up with the most distinct expression that said a number of things, depending on the situation. However its purpose was always the same: to make it's victim tremble. And in every case it had succeeded.

Of all the people that Bruineth knew, only a few were unfazed by her vicious stare. The first was, of course, Lord Elrond. He couldn't match her look, but he would pull out his own trump card of authority that immediately shattered all Bruineth's hopes of getting the best of him. Another defiler of the Wolf Stare was an old, grumpy, but mostly friendly wizard named Gandalf. He simply ignored all her attempts at scaring him and eventually she gave up trying it on him. He was too good. Her Wolf Stare did work on others though. And quite well too. Some of her favorite victims were Fiona, Elladan, Elrohir, and Estel.

Estel, or Strider as Bruineth preferred to call him, was a man, a Ranger, who was a good friend of hers. He visited Rivendell often, mostly to see the fair daughter of Elrond, Arwen. Estel and Arwen's love for one another could not be hidden from Bruineth's eyes, though she never spoke of it. She knew where the line of privacy was drawn. In spite of this, Estel always found enough time to talk with her and Fiona.

Arwen was never a victim of our Wolf-Elf's stare simply because she never did anything to deserve it. Elladan and Elrohir, on the other hand, were a different story entirely. And now, as Bruineth bore her eyes into theirs, she waited for them to react.

Elrohir dropped his gaze first and shuffled his feet awkwardly. Elladan soon followed the movement but he remained still. Bruineth wasn't going to run over him completely. "I happen to be looking for Fiona. She finished off the last of my soup without asking me for any!" Bruineth exclaimed. After thinking for a few seconds, she dropped her ferocious gaze and crossed her arms in front of her. "You have not seen her, by chance?"

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged glances. They usually took Fiona's side in most matters and therefore were not always willing to give up any information as to the whereabouts of the Fox Devil. They insisted that Bruineth was too harsh on the young girl. Now as they examined Bruineth, it looked as though she should cool down before she found Fiona. Things could get pretty nasty if you lead a Wolf to a Fox's trail while she was still enraged.

In an effort to stall time, Elladan placed a finger to his chin and looked up to the sky as though the answer to her question was imprinted in the clouds. He soon stretched out a hand to the left and pointed ever so slowly in that direction.

"I believe," he stated carefully, "I saw her go that way." Elrohir nodded in agreement with his brother's statement.

Bruineth took a fraction of a step in the direction Elladan's hand still pointed in, and stopped. With an annoyed look, she watched as Elrohir pointed in the opposite direction. He too looked up at the sky and said absent-mindedly: "Or perhaps-"

"It was that way?" Bruineth finished for him.

This was an old formula between the three. They had a strong bond. A sibling relationship, as you may call it. Elladan and Elrohir were of the few people that bothered to understand Bruineth. They looked passed her faults and errors and into her heart where the true Bruineth laid. They treated her as a normal being, not as some crazed fool Elrond pulled out of the forest one day, which is how most of the other occupants of Rivendell viewed her. They were helpful and kind.

But now, they were being about as helpful as a rocky trail is to a lame horse. Bruineth shook her head and growled in frustration.

"You know what? I'll go look for that little Fox myself! I don't need the assistance of Knucklehead One and Two," she insisted. Turning her back on them, Bruineth began marching away until one of them called to her again.

"Wait! I believe Lord Elrond wishes to see you, Bruineth!" Elrohir said with a smile.

Bruineth faced the brothers once again, a skeptic look in her eyes. She crossed her arms in front of her and concentrated hard on their faces. You see, Elladan and Elrohir sometimes lied when they said Lord Elrond wanted to see her. It would be a trick to keep Fiona safe for a bit longer. Bruineth always made a fool of herself when she appeared in Elrond's room during a meeting of some kind. There were also times when Elrond _had_ called for her and she didn't go, believing it to be a trick. That never turned out pretty.

So now she tried to see if her friends were being serious or not. Unfortunately, they had mastered the art of hiding their thoughts and feelings behind their face expressions, unlike her. Anyone within a hundred meters could see that she was frustrated and annoyed because of the way her mouth twisted to the side and her eyes narrowed.

Finally, she threw her hands into the air in defeat. "Honestly! One of these days you two are going to drive me off the bridge of insanity!"

Elladan piped up, "If there is a bridge of insanity, Bruineth, you were the one who built it!"

"Hmmph! If I built it, you provided the materials!" She quipped.

"If he provided materials," Elrohir interrupted, "then you drew up the plans!"

This Battle of the Metaphors has been known to go on for hours on end until somebody ran out of ideas and then they all laughed. It was one of their favorite games. Before Bruineth could continue further though, Fiona came running out of nowhere and grabbed onto the bottom of Bruineth's skirt. "Wolf! Wolfie! Lord Elrond wants to see you!" The young girl yelled while shaking her taller friend's skirt.

Upon seeing her closest friend and enemy, Bruineth snatched up the girl by the front of her shirt. With a glare she pulled Fiona towards her. "You meddling brat! You ate every bit of my soup! I oughta throw you over a wall for that one! And on top of that-" Bruineth paused in her raving to look over at Elladan and Elrohir. Both of them were trying unsuccessfully to cover up the sound of snorting. Narrowing her eyes at them, Bruineth tried to decipher the reason behind it. It was at that moment that it dawned on her what Fiona had told her. Bruineth focused her gaze on the short girl in her hand. "… What did you say?"

Fiona crossed her arms. She looked at Bruineth the way a parent would a child who hadn't been paying attention to a word that was just said. It annoyed Bruineth to death. "I _said_," Fiona spoke slowly and deliberately, "Lord Elrond wants to see you. In fact, he is rather annoyed that you haven't come yet."

Elladan and Elrohir could no longer contain themselves and erupted into laughter. Bruineth glared hard at them, but even if she had been using her Wolf Stare, it would have had no effect. Their eyes were closed and they were very nearly rolling on the floor in a most un-Elf-like fashion. Highly irritated by their little prank, Bruineth turned to Fiona, "They think they're real comedians, don't they?"

Fiona simply shrugged, not caring in the least about Bruineth's injured pride. She had one mission and that was to get Bruineth to Lord Elrond. She had been delayed several times and now Bruineth wasn't even listening because she was too busy yelling at the two laughing Half-Elves! Fiona crossed her short, stubby arms in front of herself again and shook her head. Sometimes those three could be more immature than her.

"Fine. I'll tell Lord Elrond that you were just too busy to come see him then," Fiona stated absently.

Bruineth jerked her head towards Fiona, her dark hair whipping her face. Rage built up inside of her as Fiona gave her an annoyingly smug look. If that kid dared to say one word to Lord Elrond about this, it was certain that someone would be going to the little Fox's funeral.

"Don't tell him that! I'm coming!" Bruineth insisted. She stood up straight and adjusted her clothing. She had to look at least semi-presentable when being in Lord Elrond's presence. Once she was certain that it didn't look like she had been wrestling elephants, the tall Elf nodded to Fiona. "All right, come on."

"Yes, you'd better hurry. Lord Elrond's getting so frustrated his eyebrows are wiggling!" Fiona declared, placing a finger to each eyebrow to try and demonstrate his facial expression.

"Wait," Bruineth said, "you were in there? In his room?"

Fiona looked at the ground, guiltily tracing the outline of a stone with her foot. She knew she wasn't supposed to be in Lord Elrond's room, but she needed a really good hiding spot and his opened door seemed like a gateway to Hideaway Paradise. Well, maybe it wasn't entirely a paradise, but it definitely had plenty of places to stay hidden.

"Yes, I was in his room," she quietly admitted. Before Bruineth could explode though, she yelled a distraction, "But I heard him say that Arwen is back!"

Bruineth, Elladan, and Elrohir all looked at Fiona in surprise when she produced this bit of information. Arwen had left in search of Strider and had yet to return. Since she was back, they could find out why Strider needed help. Bruineth had always seen him as a very capable man and didn't understand Arwen's reasons for leaving.

Bruineth suddenly perked up. Perhaps this was why Lord Elrond had summoned her! It could be that Arwen was in need of assistance and he decided that she, Bruineth Silverwood, would be of some help. The Elleth smiled at the thought of someone in need of her. As a child, Bruineth's father had been a victim of an orc attack. Her mother, a strong Elven warrior, had left her only daughter in the hands of Elrond to seek revenge for her husband's death. Her body was returned to Rivendell battered and bruised, barely clinging to life. Yet she wore a smile, satisfied that Jadril Silverwood's killers were dead. Andria Silverwood died two days later, but the memory of her courage, bravery, and love burned in the heart of young Bruineth. She was determined to live up to her mother's name. She wanted to be someone who stood out. She tried hard but could never find a way to accomplish the daring missions that her mother had done.

Bruineth felt like baggage to Elrond's family; someone else who needed looking after. Though Arwen was a wonderful sister to her, Elladan and Elrohir were more than brotherly, and Fiona was the sweetest, most annoying best friend she could ever have, she felt like a failure compared to her mother. Her goal in life was to prove herself, to show that she could be just as brave as her mother. To be someone that history would remember.

She rushed away from her three friends towards Lord Elrond's room, ready for whatever he may need for her to do. Would she find out the reason behind Arwen's midnight journey? Would she be given a special task to complete? The possibilities continued popping up in her mind as she raced through the streets. She was prepared for any one of them.

Fiona watched in confusion as Bruineth took off like an arrow. _Why is she so urgent to get to Lord Elrond's all of a sudden_? She thought. _Does it have anything to do with my impersonation of Elrond's irritated look?_

The short girl answered herself with a shrug. She was not in the least bit bothered by Bruineth's strange reactions. Instead, Fiona began wandering around in search of something to do. She was just deciding to go get something to eat, which was her favorite pastime, when she heard voices coming from tree.

Fiona took a few steps back to try and get a glimpse of who was in the tree making noise. There were two people sitting on a branch who seemed to be whispering something to each other. They both had curly light-colored hair, and large hairy feet that matched her own. The one on the left waved down to Fiona. Returning the wave, the girl was just about to ask who they were and what they were doing in a tree when another person caught her eye. He was sitting on a bench near the tree with a depressed look on his face. He too had the same curly and hairy features as the two up in the tree.

Fiona never liked seeing anyone sad or upset, so she always did what she could to encourage them. This situation was no different. So she strolled over towards the boy and sat down on the bench beside him. He seemed genuinely surprised that she had taken a seat beside him, and he even looked a bit frightened. But Fiona, oblivious as always, didn't take notice of his sense of discomfort.

"Hi! I'm Fiona!" She said to him, a bright, cheery smile on her face.

"Hello. I'm Samwise Gamgee, but most folks call me Sam," he quietly said. His gaze, which had lifted to meet hers when she spoke, dropped as soon as he completed his sentence.

Fiona didn't say anything for a moment. She didn't understand why the boy didn't say anything else. _Surely,_ she thought, _everyone loves to talk as much as me, right_? But Sam didn't say another word.

Determined to get him to speak again she asked: "What are you doing in Riverdell?"

Sam looked slightly confused at her question. "Isn't this Rivendell? Or, at least, that's what Strider had called it."

"You came here with Strider? You mean he's back?" She happily yelled, her knees now on the bench and her face a few inches from his. Sam scooted to the other end of the bench, her excitement and volume startling him.

"Calm down, Sam. I don't think she means to bite you!" A voice said. It was one of the small people that had been in the tree.

Fiona climbed off the bench and waved to the two people now standing before her. Unlike her Elf friend, Fiona was very cheerful and kind to people she just met. Having a very adventurous spirit and a smile wider than Saruman's tower is tall, it is quite often found to be difficult not to take a liking to her. She is the kind of person who can make friends with just about everything and everyone. She is the sweetest little girl you could ever meet.

But just meeting her is one thing. Getting to know her is a completely different story. Chief troublemaker and prankster of Rivendell is one of the names she is known by. However, our young Fox is soon to find out she has met her match.

"I'm Merry! And this is Pippin!" Merry said, waving to her.

"Don't worry too much about Sam's quietness. He's just worried about Frodo, is all," Pippin said to her.

Merry looked over at his friend. "Pippin, 'quietness' isn't a word!"

Pippin turned to his friend indignantly, "Yes it is! I just said it!"

"Just because you said it doesn't make it a word!" Fiona butted in.

"Exactly!" Merry agreed.

"You make up words all the time, Merry! Remember, you said 'sneakyish'!" Pippin said.

Merry sighed, "That _is_ a word!"

"No it isn't!" Fiona said.

The three continued arguing about who said what, which word was real, and when it was said, while all the time Sam remained silent on the bench, hoping that he could see his Mr. Frodo soon.

Meanwhile, if one looked down a particular corridor in Lord Elrond's outpost, that person would see Bruineth not having half as much a good time as Fiona. Her hopes had been high when she found out Lord Elrond had a task for her. Then they were smashed to the ground and shattered on the floor when the task had been presented: She was to assist in preparing rooms for a few guests that would soon be arriving.

"Of all the uninteresting jobs to get stuck with, why this one?" The Elf was in the middle of straightening bed covers and pillows when she asked the question to no one in particular. Bruineth was probably the only Elf in the world who could violently clean a room. "How can I possibly prove myself by cleaning rooms? This is ridiculous!"

Again, no one heard her, but she really didn't care. Her fangs were bared, and anyone who came too close to Wolf during this time would get bitten.

If there was anything that Bruineth hated more than cleaning rooms, it was cleaning rooms she wasn't even going to use. If she had it her way, the guests could come straighten up their own rooms. But, of course, that would never happen.

When Bruineth completed the last room, she leaned up against a wall to calm herself down before walking back into public. Snapping her fangs at the wrong person could get her into more trouble than she wanted.

Footsteps nearby alerted her to the fact that someone was approaching.

"Well, this isn't a pleasant sight," a voice said. Bruineth looked to her left, already preparing her Wolf Stare for whomever it was that decided to bother her at the moment.

A man with a tall gray hat came into view and Bruineth dropped the look immediately. "Gandalf!"

Troubles tossed to the side, Bruineth smiled at her old friend. A true Bruineth smile. You knew she was really smiling when she smiled with her eyes closed. Throwing her arms around the old wizard's neck, Bruineth began raining questions down on him: "What are you doing here? When did you get here? Have you been here long? Have you seen Fiona yet? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

Gandalf chuckled again as Bruineth released him. As irritable and hot-headed as she may be, this Elf could really be inquisitive at times. Mainly towards him though. Only people who had conquered her Wolf Stare were worthy of her undivided inattention. Bruineth normally only asked questions when she was focused.

"How about we have one question at a time, Bruineth," he said, patting her shoulder. "You are a lot like your mother in that aspect."

"I fear, Gandalf, that is the only aspect in which she and I are similar in," she sighed. Bruineth lowered her head, ashamed of how unlike her mother she was. Gandalf shook his head at her.

"Don't go into that again, my dear." He lifted her chin to meet his face. "You are not your mother. You are Bruineth Silverwood. That is who you need to be."

Bruineth felt that Gandalf did not understand how much she wanted to show her worth. She wanted something to live for. She wanted to die satisfied that she had done her best in life, just as her mother had. And one day she would, she promised herself.

Laying aside those thoughts, she went to ask again what the old wizard was doing in Rivendell. But as she looked up she happened to notice Fiona arguing in the garden with two other small creatures. So she excused herself from Gandalf's presence and marched in Fiona's direction, an annoyed look on her face.

The Wolf had locked on her prey: Fox.

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**And the end of the chapter! I do hope you have enjoyed this first installment. Not to worry all of you fans out there! Everyone's favorite Elf-boy is to make his appearance in chapter two!**

**I will only be posting around once a month, so please do not expect a second chapter too soon. Thank you!**

**Please review and tell me what you think! Good day!**

**The Purple Dragon**


	2. A Confusing Situation

**Hello, again! Thank you for staying around long enough to read the second chapter of this story! I appreciate your dedication.**

**There are a few things that I would like to say before I start. First, Bruineth does not speak the Tolkien dialect. I purposely made her that way, intending to add a bit of humor to the LotR storyline. Second, I made an error at one point when I said that Bruineth "ignores her Elvin abilities." That is incorrect. I meant to say that she simply does not like them. As a friend pointed out to me, there is not much one can do to ignore their senses.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.**

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Many, many words and phrases had been discussed and mutilated by the time Bruineth reached the arguing trio of small people. Taking a firm grip on Fiona's shoulder, she spun her around and looked her in the eye. With a sickeningly sweet voice, a voice that did not match her personality in the slightest, Bruineth asked Fiona a few questions: "Where have you been, _dear_? I needed your help cleaning and preparing a few rooms! You disappeared quite suddenly! Didn't you?"

Fiona looked puzzled at her friend's aggravation. She had not been hiding. In fact, she had been in the same spot for over half an hour. Fiona decided that the best thing to do in strange situations like this was to change the subject.

Merry, Pippin, and Sam had been quite startled when the tall Elleth had appeared out of nowhere, suddenly grabbing onto their new friend. Now, as they watched her with extreme caution, Fiona introduced them.

"This is Perry and Pippin!" She said in her chirpy voice. A smile spread across her face as she pointed to both Hobbits respectively. Pippin concealed a giggle behind his hand at Fiona's obvious mistake. Merry, however, was not so pleased. He lowered his eyebrows and looked indignantly at Fiona. Upon noticing his look, she hurried to correct herself. "Oh! I'm sorry! I meant _Harry_ and Pippin!"

Pippin burst into uncontrollable rounds of laughter after listening to his friend be introduced incorrectly a second time. Merry's face was quite red at this point, but Fiona paid no heed to his annoyance. Or perhaps she just did not notice it.

Bruineth, guessing by Pippin's laughter that the other Hobbit's name had been pronounced wrong, decided that she didn't care whose name was what.

"Well, whoever you are," she said to the Hobbits, "you will have to excuse Fiona. She has some work to do." She gave Fiona a stern look as she spoke, meaning Fiona was going to be working whether she wanted to or not.

With a defeated sigh, Fiona waved to her new friends as she was drug off by Bruineth. "Goodbye! See you soon—OW! Wolf, that hurts! Stop pulling so hard!—Bye!"

The three Hobbits looked at each other after Fiona and Bruineth were out of sight. They all had equally curious expressions on their face. Merry voiced his thoughts first: "She could be a Hobbit, but she is quite tall."

Pippin shrugged. Whatever she was, he was glad to have her around. She was fun to talk to. However, that Elf who got her seemed a bit scary.

~.~.~.~.

That evening, Bruineth was sweeping off the last balcony while humming a simple tune to herself. Her mood had lifted within the last hour, due to the fact that it was now quiet and peaceful. Fiona had fallen asleep in a nearby chair a few minutes ago, her curly hair spread out on the arm of the chair and her hands resting under her cheek. The little Fox had been hopping, running, and arguing all day long and was now completely exhausted. As loud as she could be at times, Fiona was a silent sleeper. She never snored and rarely even moved. Only the up and down movement of her middle told you she was still alive.

Bruineth smiled affectionately at the sleeping girl. Although she was aggravating at times, Bruineth loved her like a sister. She would care for and protect Fiona all her life.

"Time to get you to bed," she whispered softly, picking up the young girl. She walked slowly to their shared room and pushed the door open. After placing Fiona in her bed, Bruineth tucked the girl in snuggly and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Despite sleeping soundly, a faint smile spread across Fiona's lips. She was spoiled at times by that Elf and she knew it.

With most of her cleaning completed, Bruineth decided to leave the rest for tomorrow morning. The guests would be arriving sometime in the afternoon, which would give her plenty of time to finish tidying up.

Washed up and exhausted, Bruineth collapsed onto her own bed and promptly fell asleep without a worry in the world. Little did she know, her life was about to be turned completely upside down in just a few hours. But of course, you and I both know no one ever suspects life-changing situations to appear right around the corner. They always seem to come as a terrific—or horrible—surprise to us all. And thus was so for young Bruineth and Fiona.

The sun rose high in the sky by the time Bruineth finally opened her eyes. A single bird, wide-awake and carefree, was merrily chirping right by her window, the bird's clear song carrying through the room and tickling her ears. With a sigh, Bruineth lifted herself from her warm, inviting bed and walked to the window. The bird was so close she could probably reach out and touch it. Its feathers shone brightly in the sun's rays, making him appear more brilliantly blue than he actually was. He was a magnificent creature and he knew it. Upon realizing that someone was observing him, the little bird proudly puffed out his chest and sang even louder, his glorious melody filling the air.

"Shut up! I'm not getting up yet!" Bruineth yelled to the bird, whose song was violently interrupted by her slamming the shutters closed.

With a sigh she rubbed her eyes and looked about the room. Fiona's bed was empty, meaning that the young Fox was already awake and causing some poor soul a vortex of trouble. Her bed was made which meant Arwen had already been in the room that morning. Arwen usually came in to wake her up, however, unknown to Bruineth, she decided to let her sleep a little bit longer. The Elleth had been up for quite a long time last night cleaning.

Another indicator of Arwen's presence in the room was a light blue dress laid neatly across the chair on the opposite side of the room. It was an ankle length dress with long, wide sleeves and a V-shaped neckline. There were darker blue strips of fabric that wrapped around the waist section of the dress, acting as a sash. A pair of soft cream-colored slippers sat on the floor beside the chair. All in all, it was a beautiful outfit.

And Bruineth hated it.

As she tried thinking of a way of disposing of it without Arwen's knowledge, said Elleth stepped into the room.

"Glad to see you are awake, Bruineth!" She said cheerfully.

Bruineth, for the first time, felt like giving Arwen her Wolf Stare. Arwen knew of her hatred for such prim and proper clothing, yet she left it out almost every morning. And every morning, Bruineth was expected to wear it.

"Not today, _please_ Arwen!" Bruineth whined. "I have a lot more cleaning to do and this will only get filthy!"

Actually, there was not really a lot of clean-up to do. Most of the work had been done yesterday, but she was desperate.

Arwen shook her head, "My dear, Bruineth. I understand that you do not want to wear this, but we have guests arriving."

"Then I won't greet the guests! They can find their own way in!" Bruineth pouted in a most childlike way.

"I do not think my father would approve of that," Arwen stated simply.

Just as she was thinking that she had lost to Arwen, an idea flew into her mind. Bruineth shrugged, giving a defeated gesture and looking away from the Elf. "Since I must wear the dress, I suppose someone else will have to chase Fiona down for me. I simply cannot run in that ridiculous skirt," she said absentmindedly.

Arwen stood still as Bruineth finished speaking. She knew the young Elleth's intentions, but was more fearful of what Fiona would accomplish without Bruineth's will to stop her. "Very well, I suppose one day would not be of any harm."

"Yes!" Bruineth exclaimed with a wide smile.

A short time later, Bruineth emerged from her room wearing a simple brown tunic with leggings and a pair of soft brown leather boots pulled up to just below her knees. Her dark brown hair was brushed neatly with two tightly braided strands near her face. She was now ready to locate Fiona.

At that very moment, Fiona was laughing and talking with Merry and Pippin. The two Hobbits had found her easily by following the sound of her singing: an obnoxiously loud attempt at an Elven song. Fiona knew how to speak Elvish. Although it was a bit obvious that it was not her native tongue, singing in Elvish was not particularly hilarious. So she didn't quite understand why Merry and Pippin were laughing so hard when they approached her. Neither of them could speak a bit of Elvish, but they were fairly certain that the way she was singing it was improper.

Now, the three of them were entertaining themselves by climbing various trees and dropping piles of leaves onto passing elves. They found it slightly difficult to aim, though, since leaves appeared to have a mind of their own when it came to falling.

"Let's try something heavier!" Merry suggested. The other two agreed and decided on a small, round, acorn-like nuts that grew on the surrounding trees. After picking out their approaching target, the three troublemakers gathered handfuls and aimed.

"Fire!" Pippin yelled gleefully. Their acorns rained down on the unfortunate victim, pelting him or her with tiny little nuts.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" The Elf yelled up at them.

All too late Fiona realized they were all in a heap of trouble: that Elf was Bruineth. "Oh no! Run you two!" She squealed.

"Fiona, where are you—uh oh!" Pippin stopped his sentence short once he realized who was glaring up at them. It was the scary Elf from yesterday!

Merry had already recognized Bruineth and was halfway down the tree. The very second his feet touched the ground; a hand tightly snatched his shoulders. He stood as still as possible, wishing he had Frodo's sudden technique of vanishing.

"Going somewhere?" Bruineth asked him.

"Uh… n-no," he stuttered uncertainly.

"Oh, good!" Bruineth said in a cheerful voice. Though she spoke pleasantly, her eyes were cold. "I have a few questions I would like to ask about—ugh!"

"Get her!" Fiona yelled as both she and Pippin jumped from the tree onto Bruineth's back. Bruineth's whole body jerked forward from the force of the two people. Merry, who was trying in a desperate attempt to get away, was pulled to the ground along with her. With his legs caught underneath her, he had no way of moving.

"Fiona! You little Fox! Get off of me! And you too, Shorty!" Bruineth yelled. As she turned her head towards them, Merry used the opportunity to try and escape. He just got to his feet when Bruineth's hand shot out and latched onto his leg. She smiled, "Nice try, my friend." Merry turned back to look at her a noticed that the cold look was now out of her eyes. In its place was a look full of mischievousness and laughter.

"Yeehaw! Ride 'em, Wolfie!" Fiona yelled.

"You two think you can stay on?" Bruineth questioned with a sly smile. She stood up partially and began jumping around in place, trying to buck the two off of her back.

"Hold on, Pippin!" Fiona squealed in delight.

For the next hour Bruineth chased Fiona, Merry, and Pippin all throughout Rivendell, their excited squeals of laughter being heard from everywhere. When Bruineth finally collapsed on a garden bench, the other three fell to the ground around her. Fiona began merrily chatting with Merry and Pippin while she slowly closed her eyes. Bruineth was in quite a good mood again. Running always did that to her. Contrary to popular belief, she loved to have a good time. She enjoyed making people laugh and watching them have fun. She wished she could have done something for the Hobbit she had seen yesterday. Sam, she learned, was his name. He seemed sad and worried. Maybe it had something to do with that other Hobbit that Elladan told her Arwen brought in. It sounded as though he was injured.

Bruineth sighed as she realized there was nothing she could have done to cheer up Sam. Her comforting abilities were horrid. She never seemed to be able to say the right things. She tried before to repeat words that her mother often comforted her with, but to no avail. Anything she said came out like: "Suck it up and move on!" which, though her intentions were good, never really helped any. No, she was really only useful in helping to clean.

_Cleaning!_

Bruineth jumped from the bench with a start. She had completely forgotten about her cleaning assignment! The guests would be arriving soon and there were still a few more rooms to do! She took off like a bow from an arrow back the way they had come.

"Where is she going in such a hurry?" Merry asked.

Fiona simply smiled. "I was wondering when she would remember…"

~.~.~.~.

"I cannot believe I forgot!" Bruineth mumbled to herself, sweeping across a balcony. As she stalked around the rooms, you could almost see a dark storm cloud of frustration hanging above her head, the cause of it being the fact that her mood was now considerably lower.

Upon finishing the last room, the Elleth collapsed in a chair that was set out on the balcony. She was tired, mainly from rushing so much to finish the rooms in time.

"I guess I really did not have to rush. Those guests are not even here yet," she laughed to herself.

However, just as she spoke those words, she happened to look out over the balcony at the grounds below. A Man was riding up to Rivendell. He had brown hair, cut just above the shoulders, and was looking around the city in awe. One could easily deduce that it was his first time entering the great city. He couldn't seem to find one thing to lay his eyes on; there seemed to be so much that it was impossible to marvel at it all at once.

Bruineth smiled at the fact that she lived in so great a city. Though being an Elf was something she did not always enjoy, living in Rivendell had its charms. As she studied the traveler more closely, she was surprised to note that he had with him a shield bearing the symbol of Gondor.

"Gondor?" she said quietly to herself. She was very much confused and found it unusual that a Man of Gondor would be coming here. Now that she thought about it, however, it seemed that many unusual things had taken place within the last few days: Arwen's absence, the injured Hobbit, Gandalf being here. All of those things may not be inconspicuous on their own, but when they all happen around the same time, you really start to wonder. As did Bruineth.

It was at that moment that another rider came up following closely behind the Man, though he was obviously no Man. If you could not tell by his ears, you would have known by the graceful and dignified way he carried himself that this was an Elf. Surrounded by other Elves, he seemed a bit more superior to them. But for all his superiority, he too could not help but admire the wonders of Rivendell. His blue eyes, filled with amazement, scanned his surrounding, taking in everything… Including our dear heroine.

His eyes rested on hers, much to Bruineth's annoyance. Being in a sour mood, she decided to whip out her Wolf Stare to get the blonde Elf to stop watching her.

To her surprise and shock, he responded in a way that she did not think was possible. He did not continue going and ignore her, he did not stick his nose in the air and huff off, and he did not even try to counterattack! The Elf simply continued to look her in the eye before giving her a pleasant smile. It was less than a full genuine smile, but more than a greeting smile. Bruineth was not aware of it at this moment, but she had a priceless look of shock on her face that the blonde Elf down below found amusing. He soon continued on his way, leaving Bruineth to watch his back as he left.

_What was that_, Bruineth thought. She was completely baffled by his unique response to her Wolf Stare. It was impressive, but also annoying. She would have to practice more often. She must be losing her fierceness! Or maybe it was the sternness.

As she was contemplating this, she realized that another person had entered Rivendell. It was a Dwarf accompanied by more of his kinsmen.

"What has the world come to? A _Dwarf_ in _Rivendell_? Did Fiona put something in Lord Elrond's tea?" She exclaimed. It wasn't so much that she didn't like Dwarves—she really didn't care—but Bruineth was really starting to wonder what on Middle-Earth was going on. And why didn't she know about it? There was only one thing to do about this.

Bruineth rushed out of the room as quickly as she could in search of one man: "Strider!"

The Man spun around as he heard his name called from somewhere far-off. He recognized the voice as Bruineth's and sighed. He was not sure if he was mentally prepared for her questioning session. It did not take long for the Elf to reach him, so he really did not have any time to subtly escape.

"Good to see you, Strider!" She chirped.

"What do you wish to ask me?" Strider knew of Bruineth's curiosity because she did not like wasting her time on "people who were not worth it." She usually saved up a large amount of questions, then, and tried to ask one person all of them at once. Therefore, he had been expecting a visit from her before the day was over. Too many strange things had happened recently for her to keep quiet.

"All right! Fill me in!" Bruineth cried impatiently.

"On what?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know what! Several weird things have happened in the past few days and I'm sure you know something about it!"

Strider eyed her skeptically. "What makes you to think I know something, Wolf?"

Bruineth glared at him. Strider only called her "Wolf" when he was messing around with her. In her frustration, she pulled out her Wolf Stare. "Strider, what is going on?" She demanded evenly.

Looking away, Strider berated himself for getting beaten by her Stare. Again.

"Very well, I shall inform you," he said at last. Bruineth leaned forward eagerly. "I suppose it would do no harm to tell you a few things… Lord Elrond has called a Council Meeting. The people who have arrived are part of it."

Bruineth took in this information quickly. Unfortunately, it seemed to give more questions than answers: What was the meeting for? Why were these people called? What does the injured Hobbit have to with any of this?

"I may not be able to answer all the questions forming in your head, Bruineth, but know this: you will soon know your place," Strider told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She was disappointed that she was left out of all this. Why could she not be informed? She could help somehow, she was certain! If only there was some way to prove herself throughout this council… Why did she get stuck with cleaning?!

"Excuse me for now, Bruineth," Strider said, walking off and leaving her to stand alone to ponder his words.

"I'll find my place, huh?" She said to herself.

"And there she is, talking to herself again. What glorious conversations she must have!" A voice behind her exclaimed.

Bruineth did not even need to turn around to know who it was.

"What do you two want?" She asked, facing Lord Elrond's sons.

"Oh, nothing much. We were just going for a simple walk when we came across a very strange sight: a Wolf!" Elladan said. The Elleth rolled her eyes.

"Keep rolling your eyes and you may find a brain back there," said Elrohir.

Bruineth resisted the temptation to repeat the move. "I have a brain up here. I was just letting it know that I appreciate it for being there. Unfortunately, you two cannot say the same."

Elladan laughed, "We know we have brains because we are smart enough to know that it will not work any better under praise and complements!"

Bruineth, unable to think up a suitable comeback, stomped off in a huff. "I do not have time for you two!" she complained. She heard their laughter as she walked off. Now alone, she reflected on the day's events, her mood worsening as she did. It had started out wonderful, what with making friends with the Hobbits and chasing them around for several hours, but she had to do some rapid cleaning in order to get it all finished in time. And then there was that Elf who mastered her Wolf Stare. After that she found out about this big Council thing going on that everyone decided to leave her out of. What did fate have against her?

"I had better go find Fiona," she sighed. Who knew what that Fox was up to now?

~.~.~.~.

The next morning, Bruineth could be seen searching around the gardens in some attire similar to what she had worn the day before. Arwen woke her up earlier that morning to inform her that Fiona had gone missing. That did not seem strange to Bruineth at the time, for the young girl had always been an early riser, but what made it unsettling was the fact that Fiona had made her own bed. Now that was something to fret over. Fiona rarely cleaned up after herself. That is, unless she was trying to make up for something she had done wrong. Since the Fox had behaved well the previous night, that could only mean one thing: she was planning something. Something that Bruineth was probably not going to like.

"Blast it all! Where is she?" Bruineth exclaimed as she completed her unsuccessful search of the gardens. "Where would she go?" She thought hard, trying to place herself into her friend's shoes. Fiona wanted to do something that Bruineth would most likely hinder her from doing. Whatever this thing was, it was bad enough that Fiona felt the need to apologize in advance for it, but not horrible enough to decide not to do it at all. In that case, things in this category were usually done with someone. Most often Elladan and Elrohir. However, both Half-Elves were helping in the search for Fiona.

They said warned her about not being able to search for very long because of something they needed to do for their father, so who knew if they were still looking for her? Bruineth decided to rule them out as crime partners with Fiona then, considering their strangely busy schedule. But if they had nothing to do with Fiona's disappearance, who did?

The Hobbits she met the day before yesterday could possibly be involved. Bruineth had spotted neither Merry nor Pippin. Or was it Perry and Pippin? … Well, whoever they were, they were not around.

As Bruineth pondered this, she realized that she had seen none of Rivendell's newest arrivals. _Where could they all be?_ She wondered. _Was something going on today?_

It then clicked. The council. The guests. Lord Elrond. Strider and Gandalf's sudden appearance. Fiona's overwhelmingly annoying curiosity. Throw all of those things together and you have the location of our sly Fox:

The Council.

~.~.~.~.

**That is all for this chapter! I believe it is a slight bit shorter than my first chapter. Nevertheless I hope you enjoy this one. If you have any questions or tips, please let me know! I am willing to except criticism. I know that Legolas did not have much of an appearance, but the Council is next, so please look forward to that! **

**I appreciate your attention! Please review and let me know how I did!**

**Also, I watched The Hobbit! Fili and Kili are my favorite Dwarves! Who doesn't love those two?!**

**Until we meet again, farewell!**

**The Purple Dragon**


	3. View From Above

**My dear readers! What a joy it is to have someone reading this tale that I have produced from my imagination and love of Tolkien's writings! I appreciate the fact that you would like to continue reading my FanFiction!**

**Lord of the Rings, I own not.**

**And now, we shall begin!**

~.~.~.~.

Elves of every kind were enjoying a beautiful autumn day in Rivendell. The sun, already quite a ways up in the sky, shone down on the fair city with warmth, dispelling many of the few foul moods it came across. There was a slight breeze that made the air feel fresh and clean, blowing away doubts, cares, and worries. It was indeed a day fit for royalty and most certainly one to enjoy to the fullest. Relaxed and content, the residents of Rivendell were simply delighting in the pleasingly calm atmosphere.

But alas, as any wise and knowledgeable person would tell you, all good things have an end, and many Elves were about to find out this was terribly accurate. One moment it was serene and peaceful, and the next a gust of wind raced past at full force, kicking up dust and ruffling any light materials it came by. It knocked a few poor souls off of their feet, which is a highly irregular occurrence for an Elf. Nobody saw just what caused such a whirlwind, but no one really needed to. There was only one Elf in Rivendell who could run at such high speeds, and did so quite frequently. The name was not spoken aloud, but most were thinking exactly the same thing. And they were correct.

Bruineth was nearly at top speed as she made her way towards Lord Elrond's quarters. Her brown hair flew behind her like a thick flag in the wind as she continued through the city. As she ran, a number of thoughts raced around in her mind almost as fast as the speed she was running at.

_Why did I not come to this conclusion before?_ she questioned herself. Bruineth should have known Fiona would have found some information about the Council. She had, in fact, been hiding inside Lord Elrond's room at the time of Arwen's return, and therefore would have been well aware of any secret plans being put together at the time. The young girl's stealth and small size made it easy for her to sneak around and eavesdrop on many conversations. Particularly those not meant for her ears. It infuriated Bruineth to know that Fiona knew about this Council before she did. With this thought in mind, the Elleth arrived at the area where the Council was being held.

This small secluded place, where Lord Elrond held most of his meetings—secret or otherwise—was occupied by many different representatives at the moment. The meeting had already begun; you could hear the soft muffled sound of voices. Bruineth needed to get inside and get Fiona out without anyone knowing that she had been present. But where was that Fox? Thinking hard about a way to observe the Council in search of her friend without being seen, she finally came to a conclusion.

Surrounding the meeting place—and blocking the view of most on the outside—were tall trees with their branches spread out and filled with the season's golden leaves. Each branch was thick and sturdy with enough strength to hold up a body as light as Bruineth's. Using her little friend's logic, _when all else fails, climb a tree,_ the Elleth decided that those limbs would be her best vantage point.

Slowly and carefully, cautious to avoid causing the branches to shake and the leaves to rustle, Bruineth made her way up one of the strong oaks. Her light brown attire gave her considerable camouflage, and for that she was thankful. Upon reaching a branch high enough to have a good view down on the circle of people, yet not too high to be easily spotted, Bruineth stopped to stand on a well-balanced branch and peer down below her.

Directly North of her was Lord Elrond with two other Elves seated on opposite sides of him. On one end of the circle she recognized Strider, sitting with one ankle resting on top of the opposite knee. At the other end of the arc sat Gandalf. Beside him was a dark-haired Hobbit, who looked generally nervous and worried.

Bruineth had not been paying much attention to what Lord Elrond was saying, so she was a bit confused when the Hobbit stood up and walked to the small stone table located in front of Lord Elrond. He reached into his pocket and produced a small item that was out of Bruineth's view. Only when he set it down on the stone and walked away did she realize what it was: a small ring. As the Hobbit returned to his seat, there were intakes of breath and mumbles from the circle of people.

"So it's true," said a Man. Bruineth recognized him as the one she had seen enter the city the day before. He stood up from his seat and continued speaking: "In a dream I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. In the West, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying 'Your doom is near at hand.'" He began walking towards the ring. Bruineth saw Lord Elrond look over at Gandalf with a concerned expression. "Isildur's bane is found." Slowly, as if in a strange trance, the Man lifted his hand to reach for the ring. "Isildur's bane..." Lord Elrond stood quickly to his feet.

"Boromir!" he called out.

Bruineth watched as the Man called Boromir jumped slightly at Lord Elrond's voice. In the same second the sky became dark. Bruineth looked upwards to see if a cloud had blocked out the sun. A dark incantation of some kind abruptly filled the air around her instead. It pounded at her head, causing her to clutch her ears. The strange language was painful to hear. She had no idea what it was nor did she want to know. It stopped just as quickly as it started and the Sun once again shone brightly through the leaves on the branches above her. Breathing heavily and clutching her chest, Bruineth looked below to see if any of the others had felt or heard the strange language.

Lord Elrond was holding his head and glaring angrily at Gandalf. The old Wizard was standing up and just lowering his arms. It appeared that he was the one who had spoken the strange words.

_What is going on?_ Bruineth wondered to herself. _What was Gandalf saying and why was that Man drawn to the ring? _

Lost in the moment, the Elleth forgot about her initial reason for sneaking into the Council. Piecing together what was going on and eavesdropping on this unique and odd situation was much more interesting than searching for that sly Fox. She was far too busy looking down upon Lord Elrond, who was now speaking to Gandalf with his voice full of contempt. "Never before has anyone ever uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

Gandalf did not look in the slightest bit apologetic for his deed. "I ask not your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in all parts of the West." Here he turned and faced the circle of people. "The Ring is altogether evil." The Wizard sat back down in his seat and there was a moment of silence.

But not in Bruineth's head. Mordor? Black Speech? _Ring_? She knew that she had heard this story before. Ah, yes! The story of Sauron and Isildur! The battle! Now it was familiar. Her mother had told her about it many, many years ago. The One Ring to rule them all. So this was that Ring! Now the discussion made sense. Bruineth deduced that these representatives of Middle-Earth were trying to decide what to do with the Ring.

Bruineth was still for a moment. Then a realization hit her, as it always does ten seconds after you think over something. _How in Middle-Earth did that Hobbit get the Ring?_ The Elleth's mind was again racing and making her dizzy. She clutched the trunk of the tree to avoid falling out. It was mind-numbing to think about the fact that the dreaded and horrible Ring, that evil and dark object that took over the conscience of many, was sitting right in front of her. Well, perhaps more below her. Bruineth realized that Boromir was speaking again.

"Aye, it is a gift!" he insisted.

Bruineth blinked and made a strange face at the Man, though he could not see her. A gift? Who was he kidding? That... thing was evil, pure and simple.

"A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring?" he suggested. As he said this he began walking around, speaking to everyone. "Long has my father, Steward-King of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands safe. Give Gondor the Ring, that we may use it against our enemies."

"You cannot wield it. None of us can." Boromir turned and faced Strider, the one who had spoken. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

Boromir gave him a disdainful look, devoid of any respect. "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" he asked with irritation.

Bruineth's blood boiled. Her rage began building. The words that the Man from the south had spoken were intended as an insult in her eyes. No one spoke to Strider in such a way and got away with it. At least, not in her presence. Perhaps Strider himself could take it with no reaction, but Bruineth was far too hot-tempered to allow this Man to speak about her friend in such a discriminating way.

The Elleth was already adjusting her positioning, ready to pounce. This was her impulsive, wolf-like strategy to take down her opponent. That man dared to speak against Strider? He was about to learn the hard way what happened when you insulted a friend of a Wolf within her hearing.

Now I am sure you can guess that jumping into this situation head on, which is what Bruineth was preparing to do, will get her into more trouble than she already would be in if she had decided to stick to secretly observing this Council. So we ought to be very thankful that someone was able to put Boromir in his place before Bruineth became subject to the wrath of Lord Elrond.

"This is no mere Ranger!" Bruineth froze in place, wondering who had spoken. Directly below her, she could see that a blonde Elf had stood up from his chair and was looking in Boromir's direction. Because of her positioning, she was unable to see his face. However, the Elleth was happy that he had spoken. She had nearly jumped right into Lord Elrond's secret Council! That would not have been pretty. Clutching the branch again, Bruineth took slow, deep breaths to calm herself down. She listened as the Elf continued speaking. He held out his arm and pointed in the Ranger's direction. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

Boromir looked at Aragorn in amazement, disbelief in his eyes. Bruineth smiled smugly at the Man. _That's right!_ She thought to herself. _What do you have to say now?_

"Aragorn? This... is Isildur's heir?" he asked.

The Elf lowered his arm. "And heir to the throne of Gondor."

Bruineth looked over at Aragorn to see how he was taking the situation. He appeared slightly annoyed with the Elf's sudden outburst. However, Bruineth was positive that he would take this Elf's reaction much better than he would have taken hers. She shivered at her own impulsiveness.

Aragorn lifted his hand. "_Havo dad, Legolas,_" he said. The Elf obeyed and took his seat.

Boromir looked at the Elf called Legolas. "Gondor has no King." He sat down and glared at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no King."

Gandalf began speaking once Boromir took his seat. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it."

_Ha-ha. Told you!_ Bruineth said to Boromir in her mind. She really wished that she could say it to his face, but that seemed impossible.

Lord Elrond stood up once more. "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."

A new voice came in as Bruineth saw a Dwarf stand to his feet. "Then what are we waiting for?" he exclaimed. Bruineth smiled, her eyes fixed on the short figure. She had just been wondering the same thing.

The Dwarf lifted his battleax into the air and brought it down upon the Ring. There was a shattering sound and Bruineth's jaw dropped. Instead of the axe's force splitting the Ring into pieces, as she guessed was likely to happen, the axe blade shattered into bits and the Dwarf was flung to the ground. His kinsmen quickly helped him to his feet as he stared at the Ring in surprise and shock.

The Elleth in the tree realized that his movements had been impulsive, and she was glad to see someone else suffer the consequences of forging ahead into a situation. She took in a breath as she thought about what she would have done had she been down there with a weapon at hand.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft we possess here. It was forged in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you..." Lord Elrond looked around the circle of people, "... must do this."

A deathly silence fell over the group. Bruineth looked around and wondered how long it would last. Lord Elrond's statement was a nearly impossible request. Yet at the same time it needed to be done.

_You certainly are not volunteering yourself, are you?_ Bruineth thought, casting an amused glance in the Lord of Rivendell's direction. Finally the silence was broken by Boromir. _Does that guy ever shut up?_

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. The black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is an evil there that does not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful. Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men can it be done." He slowly shook his head. "It is folly."

Legolas again jumped from his seat and looked at Boromir with a glare. Or what Bruineth assumed would be a glare based on his voice since his face was not visible to her. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has just said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

The Dwarf, Gimli, looked at Legolas disdainfully. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" He nearly shouted the words but he remained in his seat.

Boromir stood as well. _Man, this guy never really gives up, does he?_ Bruineth thought.

"And if we fail? What then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" he insisted, stepping towards the blonde Elf.

At this point, Gimli did jump out of his seat. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!"

The Council erupted. The other Elves, who had been sitting near Legolas, stood to back him. The Men, all but Strider, soon did the same and the meeting turned into utter chaos. Out of all of the shouting you could make out Gimli yelling: _"Never trust an Elf!"_

You could barely hear yourself think over all of the arguing and shouting. And all of this noise was a good thing, at least for our dear Bruineth. For up in the tree, holding tightly to the branches, the young Elleth was laughing gleefully. One simple statement had turned the whole Council upside down. Bruineth stopped laughing long enough to see Gandalf step in and begin yelling as well.

She was watching everyone and wondering if, under the circumstances, what would happen if an Elf decided to pick up the Ring. Would the Dwarf kill himself or get a friend to kill him? She looked at the Ring and shivered. Whatever happened, Bruineth wanted to stay as far away from that thing as possible. The simple fact that she was so close to that evil darkness sent chills down her spine.

At about that time, amid all of the shouting and arguing, her ears picked up a small voice calling out: "I will take it!"

However, it went unheard. Bruineth, who no longer found the situation humorous, stared in amazement and admiration at the little Hobbit who had spoken. Though he had taken this burden to Rivendell, with all intent of leaving it in the hands of those of higher authority and, supposedly, more courage, he was willingly taking up this burden once more to carry it to where it must go.

When everyone finally realized that the Hobbit had spoken, they stared at him with as much shock and respect as Bruineth currently was. I am certain that they felt ashamed for how they had bickered amongst themselves about whether or not such a quest was actually possible, and yet this little Hobbit was ready to do it, uncaring of the possibilities of this journey succeeding.

The brave Hobbit spoke again. "I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor!" He paused for a moment. "Though, I do not know the way."

_You really ought to think about those things before you volunteer yourself for dangerous missions,_ Bruineth thought. Yet at the same time, she was still awestruck by his decision.

Gandalf stepped forward to the Hobbit. "I will help you carry this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." He then stepped behind him.

"If by my life or my death I can protect you, I will," Aragorn said, kneeling before Frodo. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," the Elf, Legolas, said, walking to stand with them.

"And my axe!" The Dwarf hobbled over to stand beside the Elf.

An Elf and a Dwarf on a mission together? This was getting interesting.

Boromir walked over to Frodo as well. "You bear the fate of us all, little one. If this is the will of the Council, than Gondor will see it done." Bruineth began feeling greatly less bitter towards this Man. Not just anyone would volunteer themselves for a seemingly impossible task.

"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" A small figure abruptly rushed into the meeting area and stood with his arms crossed beside Frodo.

"No indeed. It is hardly possible to separate you two, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not." Lord Elrond's voice, Bruineth noted, had a slight bit of amusement in it.

It was good for Bruineth to know that she was not the only one who had decided to listen in on this meeting. That thought suddenly reminded her of the reason she came to the meeting in the first place. But as she did, a familiar voice could be heard: "Wait! We're coming too!" The Hobbit called Pippin rushed onto the scene. He was followed by two others.

Merry stood beside his friend. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" he insisted.

But it was the one who spoke next that drew Bruineth's attention.

"How could we possibly miss out on an opportunity like this? How many people do you know who have gone on extremely dangerous quests?" Fiona Trambert said matter-of-factly.

_That Fox!_ Bruineth's assumptions had been correct! The girl had come to the Council!

"Anyways," Pippin was speaking again, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing."

"Well," Merry looked over at him, "that rules you out, Pip."

Bruineth had locked onto her target, as she had done so often in the past. Quickly, and without thinking, she jumped from the tree and landed lightly on the ground in between the people still sitting and the group surrounding Frodo. Legolas, detecting the noise, turned and looked at her, while those behind were trying to figure out where this Elf had come from.

Everyone turned around once they saw Lord Elrond glaring at something behind them. But the Wolf had eyes for only one. Fiona smiled and waved to her friend.

Bruineth's temper flared. She was just about to reach out, snatch that Fox up, and drag her as far away from here as she could, when a thought struck her: everybody was watching her.

Aragorn shook his head slowly while Gandalf watched the Elleth carefully. Bruineth realized that she was in a very awkward situation. Here she was, jumping out of nowhere into a Council she was not even supposed to know about. She was dressed in men's attire and glaring intently at Fiona. Should she just take the girl and leave? _Well, of course. What else is there for me to do anyway?_

Then another thought struck her. It was outrageous and ridiculous, yet marvelous and exciting at the same time. It was one of those ideas that should be well thought through before you act on them. But Bruineth, impulsive as always, was never one to slow down and think things through, especially not the slowing down part. Patience was not one of her better attributes.

Coming to a decision, the Elleth stood up straight from the crouching position she had been in when she landed and walked forward, kneeling before Frodo.

"You have my sword as well, Frodo Baggins," she told him. Fiona looked at her friend in shock, but smiled when she stood up and took a place beside Gandalf.

Lord Elrond was silent for a while, and Bruineth feared that he would object. However, appearing to decide on something, he finally spoke: "Eleven companions. So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

Bruineth smiled to herself. She was certain of the excitement this trip would hold for the group. As she looked over at her new comrades, her stomach seemed to drop. She was able to see the face of the Elf. His blue eyes, the blonde hair, the regal aura, she knew it all. This Elf, the same one whom she had mentally backed when he had stood up for Aragorn, who had unknowingly prevented her from jumping into a world of trouble, and who she had been impressed by all throughout the Council, was the same Elf that had entered Rivendell yesterday; the one who had mastered her Wolf Stare.

Legolas turned and caught Bruineth's eye, giving her that same undefinable smile. Her face flushed due to her anger and, aware of the fact that her Stare had no effect, the Elleth tossed her hair contemptuously and looked away from the blonde Elf's gaze. She stared hard directly in front of her, unwilling to face him. _Why is this happening?_

At this moment, Pippin spoke up: "Great! Where are we going?"

~.~.~.~.

"Are you going to pack anything?" Bruineth asked her friend. Both girls were inside of Bruineth's bedchamber getting prepared. The young Elleth had asked the question absentmindedly, not really looking for an answer. Her mind was occupied by other things at the time. In particular what her mother and father would say of this quest. Would they approve? Would they allow her to go? Was she worthy of such a mission? Was she really doing this for the fate of Middle Earth, or was she serving her own purposes and desires? And she still was not certain about Fiona. Could she make it through? If not, Bruineth would blame herself for any injury or pain inflicted upon the small girl. Was she ready for this quest? But Fiona had a strong and loyal heart, something Bruineth admired in a person. The real question should have been: Was the quest ready for Fiona?

Pushing these thoughts aside Bruineth continued packing.

Fiona sat down on Bruineth's bed. "I have already packed," she said in answer to her question.

However, there was no reply from the tall Elleth.

"Bruineth? Wolf, what are you doing?" Fiona asked. She stood on the bed and peered over her friend's shoulder. Understanding dawned on her face as she recognized the object in Bruineth's hand.

"Violet Fang," Bruineth whispered softly, more to herself than anyone else. This was the name of her most prized possession: her sword.

The first thing you will notice about Bruineth's sword is its color. The blade is completely black with no extra markings or carvings on it, as is the case with most Elven swords. One edge of the blade curves slightly near the tip while the opposite edge is completely straight. The handle, always seen wrapped in a long strip of gray cloth with the two ends tied in a knot near the back of it, is also completely smooth. No engravings of any kind can be found anywhere on this sword. Another intriguing detail about this weapon is the fact that it has no hilt. It is not missing, nor was it broken off. The sword was crafted without one. But that is a long story, which I believe you are about to hear.

"Tell me Fang's story again!" Fiona insisted, plopping herself down on the bed once more.

Bruineth groaned. "Fox, you have heard that story many times before! Surely it grows tiresome to hear, does it not?"

Fiona sighed. "No, of course not. It is a story of your Father's courage and your loyalty. It can never be a bore."

Bruineth looked at her friend skeptically. "I do not know about all of that, but if you insist, I will retell the tale."

Fiona brightened at the news. "Great! Merry! Pippin! Come in, she is starting!"

"Coming!" they chorused.

The two Hobbits rushed in and immediately took their places on the floor, ready to hear the story. It was obvious that they had been waiting for Fiona to call for them, an arrangement which they must have previously made. Bruineth turned to Fiona and gave her the Wolf Stare. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Fiona chuckled nervously and sank into the covers of the bed, trying to avoid the dreaded stare. "May we get on with it, please?" Her voice was a whisper.

Bruineth stared at Fiona for a moment longer, trying to decide whether to leave them all hanging and stomp off or simply gather up her memories and go through those moments one more time. They all seemed very eager, and the story itself was not so bad.

With a sigh, she gave in. "Very well, let us begin."

All three erupted into cheers and applause. They then quieted down and made themselves comfortable, ready for a good story.


	4. A Time to Remember

**Well, I must say that I am grateful beyond words! You have decided to stick around for another go, eh? You are a brave lad (or lass), is all I can say on the matter.**

**I do not own **_**Lord of the Rings**_**.**

~.~.~.~.

"I remember many years ago when I was a young Elf," Bruineth began, thinking hard over these past memories, "Before I met Fiona, that I had begged my father to teach me how to use a sword."

Merry, Pippin, and Fiona watched Bruineth carefully, ears open and ready for her tale. Though she had heard it before, as had been previously stated, Fiona could not help but get excited every time she listened to this story. Each time it seemed brand new and even more amazing, if that was at all possible.

"My father allowed me the use of his sword to practice with. He spent a few days helping me learn the basics of sword skill. He was an excellent teacher, I must say, patient and thorough in his work. Unfortunately, however, he informed me one day that he had a mission to fulfill for Lord Elrond that would take several months to complete. I was told to continue my practice in his absence. With him not by my side every day to remind me of my practice times, I did not do it as often. And when I did, it was only a half-hearted attempt. I wished my father back so many times. One day, in my anger for not improving my skills in the slightest since he left, I threw the sword across the practice arena. I broke the hilt."

"No!" Pippin exclaimed.

"What did you do?" Fiona asked. Bruineth gave her an annoyed look. She knew exactly what happened next. How many times had she listened to the story?

"I had no choice. I did not want to tell my mother about my carelessness with my father's sword. Nor did I want to get it fixed, for the blacksmith may report its condition to my father upon his return. Therefore, I continued practicing with it. I determined in my heart that I was going to excel at sword fighting.

"By the time my father returned and I informed him about the blade, I had become so used to using a hilt-less sword, that my father had one specially crafted without a hilt. And thus Violet Fang was made."

Pippin glanced over at Merry with a perplexed expression. The Hobbit did not want to say anything out loud for fear of offending the Elleth—and goodness knows what she would do should she get offended—but the story itself seemed rather, for lack of a better term, boring. Merry's face held the same look as his cousin's as he looked up at Fiona, who was still seated on the bed.

"Is that it?" he whispered up to her.

Fiona seemed genuinely shocked by the question. "Goodness, no! That is just the beginning! She's only getting started!"

Pippin breathed a sigh of relief and looked back to Bruineth, ready for the good part.

Bruineth herself was staring off into the distance now, having completely forgotten about her audience. Her eyes slowly closed and soon she was enveloped in the memory, ready to retell it, detail for detail.

~.~.~.~.

The rhythmic pounding of horse hooves was a sound familiar to many ears whose owners lived in Middle-Earth, for horses were the main transportation at this time. However, when that is the only sound you have heard over the last few hours, one can easily tire of it.

"Father, how much farther must we travel?" said a small Elleth to the Elf seated on the horse next to her. The Elleth, whom you may have guessed as Bruineth, waited patiently for an answer.

"I have told you, my dear, that I will know when we arrive how much farther we must go," he responded.

Bruineth gave a slight huff and glared at the back of her father's head. The answer he gave her made about as much sense as his reasoning for her coming along. Her mother had been in the woods a few nights before when she dropped her most precious piece of jewelry: a simple silver necklace with a blue gem that had been given to her on her anniversary.

Being the loyal and loving husband that he was, Jadril, Bruineth's father, promised to search the entire woods, forest, and beyond until her necklace had been found. Of course, it was mainly because that necklace had been his gift to her. Eventually, he also decided to take his young daughter along on the hunt, although she hardly saw it as a hunt of any kind. Nevertheless, she obeyed her father's wishes and accompanied him.

As father and daughter travelled farther into the woods with still no sign of a necklace—much less anything else besides leaves, sticks, trees, and bushes—Jadril decided to stop for a moment and rest.

"We can search this area for a bit," he added. Bruineth nodded and climbed off her horse. She walked to stand in front of the beautiful brown mare and patted its nose.

"Rest for a moment, Kalina," she whispered.

With a sigh, the young Elleth began examining the forest floor for any signs of a piece of jewelry. It seemed amazing to her how much interest she could find in normally boring things when she was supposed to be doing something. Her mind continued to wander to many things: strange leaves, oddly shaped mushrooms, or even a simple insect crawling down a blade of grass.

"Concentrate please, my dear. That insect obviously does not have your mother's necklace." Bruineth turned and looked at her father, who was still searching near the ground. She decided not to ask how he knew what she had been doing and instead proceeded to do the task set before her.

After a time of searching to no avail, Bruineth was just deciding to tell her father that they might as well move on, when a flash of movement deeper within the forest caught her eye. Looking farther out, she saw the shapes of people coming towards them. The beating of horse hooves, which had become so regular to her mind recently and had therefore failed to trigger a reaction, was beginning to get closer.

"Father? Someone is approaching," she said. Bruineth could see the few rays of the sun reflect off the armor of the Men riding towards them as it shined through the leafy roof of the forest. "Father!" she repeated with more urgency.

Jadril did not even look up from his position. He simply continued searching the ground. "Yes, dear. I know. They have been following us since we left Imladris," he stated absentmindedly.

Bruineth, though puzzled by her father's reaction, decided to adapt his attitude and reaction to the situation. With a soft sigh she kneeled down and began examining the forest floor even though she knew nothing would be found. She had already looked here.

The unfamiliar horses came closer. Kalina gave a warning whinny, but Bruineth shushed her with a hand signal. Jadril's black battle horse looked lazily about the area, paying no attention to the newcomers.

It did not take long for the group of Men to surround the two Elves, and soon Bruineth realized that there was no way to escape. However, despite her overwhelming curiosity about her father's idleness, she remained still, focusing all her energy on making sure she looked just as uninterested in the recent proceedings as he.

With her curiosity getting the better of her, the Elleth threw a glance over her shoulder to get a closer look at their ambushers. The Man on the tallest horse was a rather large fellow, possibly around forty years of age. He had brown hair and hard green eyes that were glaring into her father's back. There was something familiar about him, yet she could not lay her finger on it.

Quite suddenly, the Man pulled his sword from its sheath and pointed it at Jadril. Even if Bruineth had not seen him do so, she would have recognized the slithering sound of metal sliding against metal. Casting her eyes in the direction of Kalina, she spotted her own sword, sheathed and strapped to the side of a saddlebag.

She never liked wearing her sword on her side. For some reason, she found it uncomfortable. Now, she wished that she had worn it anyhow. The Man's attitude did not seem friendly in the slightest.

"Jadril!" the Man suddenly called. Bruineth was surprised by this, wondering why this Man knew her father's name. Jadril did not reply immediately, much to the annoyance of the leader of his ambushers. He waved his sword slightly in his direction. "Jadril!" he called again.

The Elf finally stood to his feet and brushed the dirt from his hands. He looked up at the Man, his face void of emotion. "It is good to see you again Marcus, son of Mattheus." He paused for a moment, as if to think. "On the other hand, no. It is not good to see you. I take it you are here on unfinished business?"

Bruineth, who had now stood to her feet as well, glanced from her father to Marcus. _Son of Mattheus? _The only Mattheus she knew that would try to kill her father was one who came from a long line of people who hated her family.

Bruineth's great-great-grandfather had been a Man. When he had married an Elleth, the rest of his family shunned him. They said he was weak, marrying some snobby she-Elf who would live forever. The Elleth's family had accepted the Man, but the Men had not accepted the Elves. Since that time, Bruineth's bloodline was sought to be destroyed by her great-great-grandfather's family. They had succeeded in killing many, including a close cousin of hers. Apparently they did not want to stop until they had killed all.

Now Bruineth could see why the Man, Marcus, looked familiar. A trait handed down through the blood of her grandfather was his green eyes. Marcus was most likely a distant cousin of hers.

"You know my business here, Jadril!" Marcus spat out, fixing the Elf with a hard stare. "I have come to wipe all Elves from my bloodline!"

Jadril realized that the stare was meant to unnerve him.

"So I have heard," was his calm reply. "I have also heard that you have not been doing a very thorough job, considering the fact that it has been many years since the marriage beginning this feud occurred."

"Enough!" Marcus yelled. "I'll have your head, Elf! The only question is," he continued a bit more quietly, "how do I go about removing it? Should I kill you or your daughter first?"

Up until this point, none of the Men had taken much notice of Bruineth. When Marcus mentioned her though, they all naturally looked in her direction. Being the sudden center of attention caused her discomfort, so she sent the Man a hard stare.

Jadril took a protective step in front of her. "You will not lay a hand on her. She is not my daughter; therefore you have no reason to hate her."

Bruineth resisted the urge to send her father a glance. She realized that he was trying to protect her by making them think that she was not of his direct bloodline. This she found irritating. She wanted to stand up for herself and be proud of who she was.

However, a small voice in her head told her to keep quiet and go along with her father's wishes. Deciding to stick with reasoning, she cast her gaze to the ground. There was a possibility that one of the Men may notice her eye color and realize that Jadril was not speaking the truth.

"Bruineth," she heard her father whisper. His voice was so low that even she, as an Elf, had to strain to hear him. Obviously he did not want whatever he was about to say to be overheard by Marcus or his men. "When I give you a signal, jump on Kalina and ride back toward Rivendell. Retrieve help. Do not turn back. I will wait here."

Millions of protest raced through her mind as her father whispered the plan. She did not want to ride off and leave him. She wished to stay and fight. But she knew that even if her skill in swordsmanship were equivalent to his, she was a faster rider.

Nodding discreetly to let him know that she understood, she placed one hand behind her back, in Kalina's full view, and spread her finger out, palm down. She then balled her fingers into a fist and then flexed them again. She repeated this process twice. It was her own way of telling her horse to be prepared to ride.

Bruineth had spent hours with Elladan and Elrohir teaching the mare to respond properly to several different hand signals. Whenever Bruineth came near Kalina, the mare watched her carefully, ready and waiting for any commands from her master.

Kalina whinnied softly, a seemingly normal sound for a horse to make, yet Bruineth knew that it was a response to her signal.

The young Elleth glanced toward the Man to see if he had noticed anything, but Marcus was more focused on Jadril. She had been paying in turn had been paying so much attention to her horse that she had not noticed what the Man and her father were discussing. She never did find out, for at that moment Marcus swung down from his saddle and took a step towards Jadril.

"Go, Bruineth. Now!" her father whispered sharply.

Speed was something that Bruineth excelled in to the fullest. In less time than it takes a well-trained soldier to draw his sword, the Elleth had spun around and gave a sharp whistle. At the same moment, Kalina turned tail and took off running away from the group. Bruineth ran alongside her horse for a few seconds before grabbing the saddle and swinging herself up onto it. Horse and Elf were yards away before the Men could even begin to react.

"Don't just stand there! You two, after her!" was all Bruineth heard as she and Kalina raced through the forest, the wind whipping past them. The rush of adrenaline surging through her system was something she loved about riding at such high speeds. Momentarily forgetting the danger that she and her father were in, Bruineth breathed in the joy of racing. Reaching forward, the Elleth gave her horse a rub between the ears. Kalina responded with a nicker.

They both relished the pleasure of speeding through the forest.

The beating of a second set of horse hooves brought her back to the reality of the situation. Throwing a glance behind her, Bruineth realized that the two Men had caught up with her, one on either side. Urging Kalina forward, she gritted her teeth, hating herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings. They rode on for another ten minutes when she cast another glance behind her. This time, a flash caught her eye. It came from the Man riding up on her right. She turned in the seat again to focus on him, trying to decipher what caused the flash.

Her eyes widened as she locked on the source: a silver necklace with a blue gemstone. It was hanging around the Man's neck, jostling around as he rode through the forest. But Bruineth had seen it clearly.

Without another thought, she brought her horse from a run to a complete stop. This sudden ceasing of movement surprised her pursuers as their horses came to a less than graceful halt.

Bruineth swung herself down from the horse and, in one smooth motion, pulled her blade from its sheath that had been strapped to the horse. Such a strap caused her to be one of the few Elves to ride with a saddle.

The two Men, though in slight confusion, recognized the threat and dismounted, drawing their swords as well. Bruineth took two steps toward them, her black blade, pointed to the ground, glowed in the small rays of the evening sunlight filtering through the trees.

The Man with the necklace held back as his comrade charged the Elleth first. He held his sword above his head before bringing it down with one powerful stroke toward her head. Bruineth's blade, which during one second hung harmlessly at her side, came up a split second later to block the Man's down stroke. He did not stop to register his own surprise, but instead swung his sword, aiming for her left side.

Bruineth blocked a few more strokes before deciding to go on the offensive. Each swing of her sword was so fast the Man felt like he was being attacked by two Elves at once. Realizing that he still had the upper hand in strength, he saw an opening and was able to drive her back a few steps. Unfortunately for him, he did not see her leg coming up until he felt her foot make contact with his side. The Man stumbled backwards from the blow, but stopped himself and started to recover.

"Kalina!" Bruineth called out. The horse responded by rearing up and bringing her front hooves down on the Man, knocking him out and pinning him to the ground.

With one opponent down, Bruineth turned toward the other Man. When her eyes caught sight of her mother's necklace hanging around his neck, all practicality and strategy were pushed from her mind as she filled with rage. With a short yell she attacked the Man, her strokes becoming wilder and wilder as her anger rose. Once the Man recovered from the surprise of her sudden attack, he noticed that she was swinging her sword blindly. Each stroke was easy to block or dodge and he began to drive her backwards.

Upon realizing that she was losing due to her emotions, Bruineth focused more on each stroke and her movements became more precise. However, she had given too much ground, for the Man was slowly overpowering her.

With one last slice, her blade was knocked from her hand and sent flying. Seeing that she was now virtually weaponless, the Man pushed her up against a tree with his sword at her neck.

Bruineth glared up at her soon-to-be killer, her green eyes void of any trace of fear. This bewildered the Man, but he said nothing of it. She would fear him soon enough; a second before he skewered her.

"Last words, she-Elf?" he asked her in a voice thick with sarcasm.

Bruineth blinked once, and then lowered her gaze from his face to his neck. "I will not die with my mother's necklace on the neck of a barbarian," she spat.

There was no time for him to register the meaning of her words, for the minute they were out of her mouth; he felt a sharp pain to the side of his head and a force knocking him to the ground. Then everything went black.

Bruineth pushed the slumped form of the Man away from her and sent a nod of gratitude in the direction of her horse.

"Thank you, Kalina." The mare gave a responding whinny as Bruineth patted her nose. After she was certain her horse had received enough praise for knocking out both of her attackers, the Elleth leaned down and removed her mother's necklace from the unconscious Man.

As she examined it for any damage, she wondered about what would have happened had this necklace actually belonged to the Man. She chuckled to herself as she thought about the fact that she almost could have been killed for no reason. An impulsive act such as the one she had just done was looked down upon by her mother and father. Yet this time, it paid well. She had successfully retrieved the object she and her father had set out for.

She smiled as her horse gave her a gentle nudge. "With a little help, of course!"

Placing the piece of jewelry into her pouch and retrieving her fallen sword, Bruineth mounted Kalina and headed back in the direction she had come. She wondered how her father was faring. She considered heading to Rivendell, but something told her to find her father first. Perhaps he would be angry with her for disobeying his orders, but she hoped that her discovery of the necklace would calm his wrath.

Meanwhile, in a battle of his own, Jadril's thoughts were far from a necklace. He had successfully fought off the other seven Men that had been accompanying Marcus and was now wrestling the son of Mattheus himself. Due to an injury in his leg, Jadril had been caught off guard and thrown to the ground. Marcus, who had lost his sword, was now atop him trying to slit his throat with a knife he had pulled from his side.

Though it appeared as if the Man was winning, Jadril, an Elf well-known for his cunning trickery, had a plan. With his good leg, he planned to kick the man off of him and flip his knife around.

Jadril looked up at Marcus, seeing the raging fury in his eyes: the anger, the pain, and most of all, the hatred. Marcus's desire to kill Jadril was surpassing his desire to live as he pushed on the knife blade with all his might, his hands bleeding from the amount of pressure he was applying to them. Jadril decided it was time to put his plan in motion.

He was just lifting his leg when Marcus's eyes seemed to bulge and his entire body froze. Jadril wondered for a moment what had happened to his opponent, until he saw the tip of a black blade sticking out of Marcus' chest. The blade was pulled back and the Man's body went limp. Jadril pushed the dead figure away from him and looked up to see his daughter standing above him, a blood-soaked blade in her right hand, though the blood was hard to notice since the blade was so dark.

"I had it sorted," he said indignantly as she helped him to his feet.

"So I see," she replied.

Slightly off balance from his injured leg, it took Jadril a moment to stand up straight. When he finally did, he turned to his daughter and looked her up and down. Her hair was messy, her face was covered in dirt smudges, and her clothes were torn in different places. Yet, in spite of her outward appearance, her eyes held a proud look of triumph.

"Since you obviously did not obey my directions in going back to Rivendell for help, tell me what you were doing. You seem to have been busy," Jadril said.

"Well," Bruineth began, "I had every intention of fulfilling your request. However, during my flight back to Rivendell, I noticed that one of my pursuers was wearing this." She held up the necklace for him to see.

Jadril's eyes widened as he reached for the necklace. Taking it from her hands, he carefully examined the piece of jewelry.

"He must have found it while they were following us," he said, his voice full of amazement. He then looked at Bruineth, a look of suspicion on his face. "How did you manage to remove this from his neck?" When his daughter did not immediately answer, Jadril narrowed his eyes at her.

"When I saw him wearing the necklace, my sword seemed to just pounce onto the Man on his own," she said after a while.

"Really?" her father said, giving her an incredulous look. "Simply 'pounced on his own'?"

"Oh, yes," Bruineth confirmed with a nod. "He simply pounced… like a wolf!"

Jadril laughed and shook his head, marveled by his daughter's ability to say all of that with a straight face.

"No, my dear, you are the wolf." He pointed to her sword. "That is your fang. You simply attack without a second thought, if you believe something belonging to someone you love could be in danger. You are like a rebellious princess!"

"Am I? Well, the credit cannot all go to me," she added when she felt a nudge on her back. "Kalina helped greatly."

"I see," her father said. "Please remind that horse that it is a horse, not an Elf."

Bruineth patted her mare's nose. She then looked off into the distance and muttered softly to herself: "A wolf and a princess."

Jadril, not paying attention to her mumbling, told her that he would leave the lecture about impulsiveness to her mother. He then mounted his black stallion, who had not done much of anything this entire time. The pressure he applied on his leg to swing up onto the horse was excruciatingly painful, but his face showed no sign of his discomfort. He did not want his daughter to worry needlessly about him all the way home; his wife would do a good enough job upon their return. She would most likely say how angry she was at him for getting hurt because of her, but then fuss over him for the next few days. Jadril shook his head. Over five hundred years of marriage and he still did not understand that Elleth.

Engrossed deeply in his thoughts, he was startled when his young daughter suddenly asked: "What is the color of royalty?"

Jadril thought for a moment before answering. "Purple, I believe. But it is different in other places. Why?"

Bruineth continued mumbling to herself as she mounted Kalina. The two Elves turned their horses back in the direction of Rivendell. They were silent for a while until Bruineth said: "Violet Fang."

"Excuse me?"

Bruineth patted her sword, which she had cleaned and returned to its sheath. "His name is Violet Fang."

Jadril nodded as he thought about why she had named it that. Violet because it was the color of royalty, and Fang because she was like a wolf when she fought.

"Very suitable. Very suitable, indeed." He nodded his satisfaction.

Again, a comfortable silence fell over the two as they continued on, leaving a memorable adventure behind them and heading towards a new one. Jadril took in a deep breath, forgetting the pain in his leg. It was good to simply be alive.

"You know," Bruineth said thoughtfully, "what would Lord Elrond look like in bright purple robes?" She paused. Then both father and daughter burst into laughter at the absolutely ridiculous thought. The two horses, sensing the carefree and pleasant attitude of their masters, walked briskly in the direction of home.

~.~.~.~.

Silence fell over the group of listeners as Bruineth came to the end of her tale. Fiona smiled as she saw the content look on the Elleth's face. A little bit after she had begun the story, Bruineth seemed to forget about her audience and focused her entire being into the tale. She was no longer retelling a story, she was living a memory.

After finally pulling herself away from her mind and back into the present, Bruineth looked at her audience and was shocked to see that it had grown since the story had begun. Elladan and Elrohir were now standing on either side of her bed and Aragorn was leaning on the door post. Although as soon as Aragorn realized Bruineth had noticed him, he slipped quietly away.

She looked around at the room and then at Fiona. "I do not believe that there were this many visitors when I began, Fiona. Can you explain this?"

Fiona looked up to the ceiling the way she Elrohir normally did when he wanted to avoid Bruineth's question. "I may have possibly... invited a few more people. A few…" she slowly admitted. Merry and Pippin snickered.

Bruineth did not even bother with her Wolf Stare. Fiona knew how she felt about having so many people in her bedchamber. It was simply uncomfortable. Narrowing her eyes, Bruineth held the Fox's gaze.

"Fiona? One word."

The girl gulped.

"Run!"

Fiona jumped up, zipped past the twin Half-Elves, and ran down the hall. Bruineth was half a step behind her, hot on her tail.

"Fiona Trambert! Get your tail back here!"

Elladan turned to his brother. "That sounds familiar. How many times have we heard that in the last... oh, I don't know, ten years?"

Elrohir nodded and followed his brother out the door.

This left Merry and Pippin sitting alone in the room.

"Hey, Merry! That was a really good story!" Pippin told his cousin excitedly. Merry nodded.

"But there was something strange about it," Merry commented.

"What?" Pippin asked. He couldn't think of one odd thing about it. The entire tale was so exciting and suspenseful, his favorite kind of story.

"Maybe it's just me, but the younger Bruineth seemed more... quiet. Meditative. Elf-like. Do you know what I mean?" Merry asked. Pippin nodded his head.

Then he shook it.

Merry sighed. "Oh, well. Forget it. It was still a good story! Come on!"

The two Hobbits hopped up and ran out the door to see if the Wolf had caught the Fox, a pastime they had gotten quite used to and found amusing in the few days they had been in Rivendell.

~.~.~.~.

Lord Elrond had had a feast prepared for the members of the Fellowship. He said that it would be easier to travel with someone if you knew them at least a little. Everyone agreed and came to the feast, ready to tell about themselves and their homeland and ready to listen the others talk about where they were from.

Everyone except Bruineth.

The Elleth was standing on her balcony looking off into the setting Sun. I cannot begin to describe the beauty of this particular sunset. Though there are many sunsets, the ones that you sit down to enjoy are, of course, the most precious.

But our Elleth was not enjoying the view. In fact, she nearly dreaded it. It only meant that she was moving another step closer to the day of their departure. A day that Bruineth wondered if she should still take part in. This whole help-save-the-world thing was weighing heavily on her mind. Whether or not she was fit for this task was the main issue. She did not wish to burden the Fellowship or slow them down. Nor was it her desire to get in the way and cause trouble. It was all far too complicated for her to sit down and try to sort out.

Even if she did not think she was ready, she could not back out now. She had given Frodo her sword. And her word was bound to her sword. Stepping back was out of the question. But they would understand if she did, wouldn't they?

Hanging her head in shame for even thinking of things such as giving up, Bruineth let out a sigh. Just as she did, she heard the door open and someone enter the room. The nearly silent footsteps alerted her to the fact that the visitor was an Elf.

"Elladan, Elrohir, if you are here to drag me to dinner, forget it. I'm not coming. Tell Lord Elrond that I tripped, broke my toe, and could not get downstairs," she said, waving a hand as if to shoo them out.

A low voice gave a slight chuckle. "And I would most likely believe them, considering the fact that you are the only Elf capable of doing such a thing."

Bruineth spun around and was shocked to see the Lord of Rivendell himself standing in her doorway. As he walked towards her, the Elleth searched her brain, trying to find a reason that he would personally come to visit her. Nothing came to her mind, which worried her even more.

Then she realized that he could be coming to tell her that she was not allowed to go with the Fellowship. All of her previous doubts of whether or not she was prepared for this trip were flung from her mind. Already she was forming an argument in her head to give to Lord Elrond should he deny her permission to go. This journey would be the chance of a lifetime to prove herself; to show that she was just as brave and honorable as her mother. She simply had to go!

"So you are not going to dinner?" he asked when he reached her side.

Bruineth was taken aback for a moment, surprised by his seemingly innocent question. It appeared that he was not here to stop her from leaving tomorrow. She berated herself for thinking such things. Of course he would not make her go back on her word.

Bruineth noticed that Lord Elrond was still waiting for an answer to his question.

"Oh. Dinner. Yes. I mean, no. No, I'm not going," she stammered awkwardly.

Lord Elrond gave her a sideways glance, placing his hands on the railing of the balcony. "I recall you being a lot less unsure of yourself," he said softly.

Bruineth took her eyes away from his and looked into the sky. She said nothing for a while, knowing well what he meant. Before she had lost her parents, Bruineth had been like any other Elf you would meet, if not a bit more impulsive. With the loss of her mother and father went a loss of her self-confidence. Now, she was significantly more unsure and nervous. When these traits mixed with her impulsiveness, they came out as quick-tempered and hotheaded. Not many understood her change in attitude unless they had known her before the death of her parents.

Lord Elrond knew that when Jadril and Andria had died, Bruineth had lost the will to live. She simply survived. That is, until Fiona Trambert came into her life. The young Fox brought her a new reason to go on. She would never know the support she was to Bruineth.

Said Elleth traced a design on the wood of the railing with her finger.

"Why do you not want to go to dinner?" Lord Elrond asked.

Bruineth took a deep breath before answering. "I just don't. It's okay if I don't hear all the detailed descriptions of everyone's life and home. Fiona will fill me in on that later. And I simply do not want to talk about my life. I just don't. Strider, Gandalf, and Fiona know it already and I do not think anyone else would care."

Lord Elrond listened patiently and nodded. They were both silent for a while, thinking over what the other had said. Finally, Lord Elrond said: "I could order you to go."

Bruineth turned her head away from him. She knew that if he did order her to go, there was no escaping it. She would have to go. She was about to succumb to defeat when he added: "But I am not going to do that."

Lord Elrond turned and headed towards the door. Bruineth kept her gaze focused on the setting Sun as it continued to disappear slowly over the horizon.

"You will find your place, Bruineth Silverwood," he said as he walked out.

Bruineth let out a sigh. That was the second time someone had told her that, and it still made no sense to her. She hoped Fiona was having more fun than she was right now.

~.~.~.~.

In truth, Fiona was having what one would describe as the time of her life. She was seated near the end of the long table with Pippin seated right next to her. They had been having an eating contest for the past hour and neither appeared to be letting up. As she ate, she listened carefully to each of the people present speak of their homeland. Boromir went on the longest, while Legolas held the prize for saying the fewest words the entire time.

The Man of Gondor was still going on about the wonders of his country and Fiona was seriously considering throwing a bread roll at him. However, she decided that Lord Elrond might not appreciate her throwing food at their guests. Also, she and Pippin had finished off all of the rolls on this side of the table. The only ones left were located in front of Mr. Talks-A-Lot, as Fiona had dubbed Boromir.

The Hobbits began talking about their homeland next, which our Fox found significantly more interesting. She listened carefully to every word as Merry went on, not even slowing in his eating.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "The Shire sounds like so much fun!"

Pippin looked up at her. "It is! It's the funnest place in all of Middle-Earth!"

"Pippin," Merry hissed, "'funnest' is not a word!"

"Yes, it is!"

Fiona shook her head. "Don't start that again!"

Gimli, who was seated on the opposite side of the table, began his homeland description. Fiona found it nearly as intriguing as the Shire, and she said so. He seemed pleased by the statement and went into further detail, oblivious to the slight look of contempt a certain Elf was giving him when he mentioned that the Dwarves' ale was much stronger and tastier than Elven wine.

Once the son of Glóin decided that he had said enough, and Legolas had pushed away his Dwarf-murdering thoughts, Fiona decided it was her turn.

"Well, allow me to explain the wonders of Rivendell!" she said happily.

Gimli gave a grunt, but said nothing.

Fiona was just getting to one of the many tricks she had assisted Elladan with when she realized that a key member of her story was missing. The seat straight across from her was empty.

"Hey," she said, interrupting herself, "where's Bruineth?"

A silence fell over the group, broken only by the sound of Merry and Pippin still eating. Aragorn was secretly relieved when he realized that Bruineth had decided not to come. Fiona's presence was all he could handle right now.

When no one was able to answer Fiona's question as to the whereabouts of her friend, Boromir shook his head and grumbled something. Though he was sitting all the way at the end of the table, Fiona's ears were able to pick up the word 'scared' from his string of incoherent mumbles.

The girl's eyes widened and then narrowed in his direction, though he did not notice. Nobody called Bruineth scared. Not when she was around.

Thankfully for Boromir, Fiona's ways of revenge were nowhere near as violent as Bruineth's. She preferred to make her vengeance a bit more subtle.

"Well," she announced loudly. "I think I will go check on Bruineth. She may be _scared_." Fiona made sure to emphasize the last word. Boromir's head went up and he looked down the table at her, but Fiona was not looking at him. She picked up an empty plate and began putting different food items on it. "I'll bring her some food since she may be too _scared_ to come down here," Fiona said, this time sending the Man a look.

Gandalf, who was sitting across from Boromir and therefore had heard what he had said, gave a slight chuckle, but quickly covered it up with a series of coughs. Legolas, also having heard Boromir, simply shook his head. The Elf looked up when he saw Fiona walk all the way around the table to where the bowl of bread rolls was.

Boromir reached out to grab the last roll when a small hand snatched it out from underneath his own. He looked up, surprised to see Fiona standing there. He had not even noticed when she got there.

"I'll take this for Bruineth," she said in a stern voice, looking the Man straight in the eye. "She needs to keep her appetite up if she is _scared_."

By this time, everyone at the table had realized that Boromir must have said something that the young girl did not appreciate. Not quite sure of what to make of this awkward situation, the Man of the South simply stared dumbfounded at Fiona. With a humph, Fiona turned on her heels and marched away. Upon reaching the top of the stairway that lead to Bruineth's bedchamber, she turned around and looked Boromir straight in the eye. Then with a wide grin, she winked at him and tossed down the bread roll that she had taken from him. Her aim was perfect and it landed directly on his plate.

Boromir looked at his plate in shock then back up to Fiona, but the girl was gone.

"How did she do that?" Pippin said in an amazed voice.

In another moment most of those occupying the table burst into laughter, started by Gimli's loud bellow.

"The lass really is something, isn't she!" he proclaimed.

Merry, Pippin, Sam, and even Frodo were all laughing heartily at what had just taken place. Gandalf gave and short laugh and Aragorn chuckled. The corners of Legolas's mouth turned up slightly and even Boromir found himself sporting a wide grin. He was sure that he had looked ridiculous when the roll landed on his plate. He made a mental note to himself: never insult Bruineth when her friend was around.

~.~.~.~.

Fiona raced towards Bruineth's room, quite pleased with the laughter that was reaching her ears. With a smile, she continued running until she reached the door to their shared room.

"Wolf?" she called softly, stepping into the room.

"Over here," came Bruineth's voice. Fiona walked onto the balcony and placed the platter of food onto a small table. She recognized the far away tone in her friend's voice. It meant that she was thinking about her parents.

For a moment Fiona was almost thankful that she never knew her parents. Bruineth was the only mother-like figure she had ever known. With a sigh, she walked towards her friend and placed her small hand in Bruineth's larger one. She then leaned her head on the taller Elleth's arm.

Bruineth felt the warm contact but did not look down. She simply curled her fingers around Fiona's hand and sighed. Looking out over the valley, Bruineth knew that this world was getting darker. She knew of the Elves' plans to leave. Rivendell was one of the few places in Middle-Earth that had not yet been touched by the darkness of Mordor. It was sad to see the land she lived in begin to crumble.

Fiona, who understood what was happening in Middle-Earth, mostly due to her excellent skill in eavesdropping, shivered slightly as she thought about places like Mirkwood that had been tainted with darkness. She knew it was only a matter of time until the foul shadow of Mordor hovered above Rivendell, which was why the Elves were leaving. It scared her to think about such things. She felt so small and alone in a big world.

"That is why we are doing something about it, Fiona," Bruineth said quietly.

Fiona looked up at her friend, wondering how the Elf had known what she was thinking. Bruineth simply gave her a smile, her green eyes closing so she could be happy without caring about what was happening in the world. Fiona returned the genuine smile with one of her own.

Both girls watched the Sun disappear completely over the horizon, blanketing Middle-Earth in a cloak of darkness. Though they did not know it, tomorrow would begin an adventure that would turn their lives upside down, inside out, sideways, crossways, and in any other way possible. It would change them forever in good ways and bad ways. They would be put through situations that required the upmost faith in each other to survive. Pain, sorrow, and strife beyond imagination waited for them up ahead.

But I do not want to spoil it for you.


	5. And So It Begins

**I am doing my best to contain the surprise I have from seeing you read another chapter. Is it that interesting? I do not own Lord of the Rings. If I did ... well, we will not go there.**

OOOOO

It was several hours before dawn when Bruineth rose from her bed. As I am sure you know, such a move she found most difficult, considering the fact that the Elleth was quite comfortable. Only the importance of this particular day kept her from falling back into the warmth of her blankets. That and the fact that someone, who did not know that moving softly was a good idea in the early morning, happened to have been awake several minutes prior to her own awakening. Yes, you are correct in assuming that this 'someone' is Fiona.

The girl was placing several parcels near the door of their shared bedchamber, dragging them from where they were stored to the place she found it necessary for them to be. The scratching, scraping sound they made as they were pulled across the floor was what awakened Bruineth in the first place. Not being a morning Elf, Bruineth was already sending Fiona her Wolf Stare.

"Fiona," she grouched, "what are you doing?"

Said girl placed the last bag in it's supposedly proper place and turned to her friend. "Bruineth! I'm glad you're... awake." The pause in the sentence came when Fiona locked eyes with Bruineth, the older Elleth's Stare sending shivers down her spine. "Oh, was I too loud?" Fiona asked in a softer voice.

Instead of answering, Bruineth climbed out of bed and walked towards her wardrobe. In annoyed silence she changed into her most suitable travelling outfit and grabbed her sword from it's place.

Because she was still uncomfortable with wearing her sword on her side, Bruineth had worked hard in the years to follow her obtaining the weapon, trying to devise a way to carry it in a different, yet convenient, way. It did not take her long to come up with a strap for her sheath so that it could be worn like a quiver on her back.

There was a slight problem that she came across when she first designed the sheath: when it was strapped to her back, her arms were not long enough to pull the entire length of the blade out. This left her frustrated for quite a while, until her father suggested that she change the design. The front part of the sheath only ran a section of the way up the sword. At the halfway point was a piece of thick leather, that folded over the blade of the sword, protecting it, but allowing it to be pulled out. Right above the handle was a release latch that attached the sword to the backing of the sheath. This latch could be released with a simple flick of the thumb. The latch would snap back into place when the sword was returned to the sheath. Such a design allowed Bruineth the ability to draw her sword quickly with little difficulty. After years of practice she was able to draw her weapon from her back as fast as any well-trained warrior could draw it from his side. Practice also gave her the ability to sheathe her sword quickly without skewering her own neck.

Bruineth placed Violet Fang on her back and turned to face Fiona. Upon noticing the pile of things beside the door, the Elleth gave her friend an incredulous look.

"What in Middle-Earth is all that?" she exclaimed. Several parcels, bags, and satchels were stacked on top of each other in random order. The pile, whose top nearly reached the top of the doorway frame, swayed from side to side, threatening to fall over at any time. When Fiona said she had packed, she was not joking.

"They are all of the things we will need to go on this quest! What else would it be?" Fiona asked, behaving as if it was perfectly normal to bring a large percentage of your belongings on a dangerous, secretive mission. Fiona looked up at Bruineth an expression of pure innocence on her face. With a sigh, the Elleth carefully explained to her friend how impractical it was to drag all of those things halfway across Middle-Earth.

"We will be traveling for a very long time. There is no way for us to carry all of that."

Fiona tilted her head to the side, giving Bruineth a confused look. "Cannot we simply place all of my things on the horses?"

Bruineth shook her head. "We are not bringing horses, Fiona. We are walking."

Fiona's eyes widened in shock. "You mean to tell me that were are traveling all the way to Mordor on foot?" she asked, her face displaying a look of disbelief.

"Yes," Bruineth confirmed, "that is exactly what I am telling you."

Fiona glanced behind her at the pile of belongings. "I guess this means that I will be leaving these things behind. Wait!" she said after a pause. She looked back at Bruineth. "You are leaving Estera behind?"

Estera was the grandson of Kalina, Bruineth's beloved horse. The Elleth had done her best to train him as well as Kalina, who was now dead, had been but to no avail. Still, she loved Estera nearly as much as she had loved Kalina. It was saddening to leave him behind.

"Yes, Fiona. Estera will stay behind," she said in a whisper, gazing out the window as she spoke. There was a strange silence to follow this statement until Fiona spoke again.

"Well, I suppose that all of these things are not necessary. I mean, we are only helping Frodo get to Mount Doom so he can throw that Ring in there. How hard can it be?" Fiona gave a shrug as she said this, indicating that she did not see the danger in this mission. Her statement caused Bruineth to pinch the bridge of her nose and shake her head slowly.

"No, Fox. It is going to be much harder than you think." She looked into Fiona's eyes as she continued speaking. "There will be opposing forces. Enemies far more dangerous than Orcs will be after us. The power of the One Ring will draw out adversaries from the deepest, darkest shadows of Middle Earth. Frodo shall be in harms way the entire time until the Ring is finally destroyed. We, as the Fellowship, must protect him at all costs. Our very lives are on the line. This is not to be taken lightly. Danger awaits us up ahead."

Once Bruineth completed her speech, which I am sure she thought was much more impressive than it actually was, Fiona gave the older Elleth a blank look. Waiting for some kind of reaction from the girl, Bruineth watched her face carefully. Finally, she spoke.

"And how do you know all this?" Fiona crossed her short arms in front of her. "Did you suddenly develop the gift of foresight?"

Bruineth rolled her eyes at the girl's impertinence. This was not the response she was hoping for, yet it did not come unexpectedly.

"I do not need foresight to know when danger lies ahead. If one is patient, that person can see what lies ahead with careful observation and waiting."

Fiona threw back her head and gave a short mocking laugh. "You? Patient? Not going to happen! Patience is not a word that I would put on your list of positive points!" the girl said.

Though we all know that Fiona's statement is truth, our dear Elleth happens to not like being informed of her weaknesses. Some people can easily take being told what they are not good at. Bruineth is not one of them. When it is in a mocking tone of voice, such as the one Fiona is using, that really upsets her.

"You could not be patient if your life depended on it! Why I remember that one time..." Fiona continued into a story that was an example of Bruineth's impatience. Unfortunately, we will never know how accurate this story is, for the little Fox never completed it. Halfway through the tale, which Bruineth will most likely insist was exaggerated, she had looked up at her friend only to be met with the Wolf Stare.

"Fiona?" Bruineth said in a dangerously low voice. Fiona nodded and began moving slowly towards the door.

"I know," she said in a shakey voice. "Run."

OOOOO

The early morning rays of the Sun, shining down on a new day in Rivendell, filtered through an open window to find a certain Elf making his last-minute preparations for the quest up ahead of him.

The Elf, Legolas, placed one last well-inspected arrow into his quiver before swinging the quiver over his shoulder. He walked to the door and started to open it, but his hand froze above the door handle as he realized that someone on the outside was already turning it. This he found strange, for he was usually aware when someone approached his door. Legolas took one step back as the door opened partly to reveal Fiona.

"Excuse me. I am sorry. I thought this was one of the unoccupied rooms," Fiona immediately apologized. Legolas opened his mouth to speak, his surprise hidden behind his calm face expression, but he did not get the chance to say anything. "I'm just going to hide right here for a moment," Fiona said, diving underneath the already made bed.

Legolas did not know what to make of this strange situation. This was a very unique position for him to be before had a young girl run into his room and seek shelter underneath his bed. Not only was this awkward, the Elf was confused by the girl's need to hide.

However, all became clear when he heard a voice down the corridor.

"Fiona! Where are you! When I get my hands on you...!" Legolas recognized the voice as belonging to Bruineth, the Elf that had jumped from a tree into Elrond's Council. He looked down at Fiona who put a finger up to her lips, indicating that he keep her hidden until the Wolf had passed. Legolas could not stop a small smile from spreading across his face as he watched the curly-haired girl take cover underneath his bed.

Bruineth also had something to smile about. She had seen Fiona come this way and the partially open door to her right meant only one thing: the Fox had entered that room. With a sly smile, Bruineth approached the door.

"Fiona? I saw you go in there! You have five seconds to come out and I might not throw you into a river this time! Do you hear me?" Bruineth called into the room. Fiona looked up at Legolas and shook her head, silently pleading him to keep quiet. Legolas gave a slight nod before walking towards the door. He found the whole situation quite amusing.

Bruineth held up her right hand. "I'm counting, Fiona!" she yelled.

Fiona scooted farther under the bed to keep out of sight. Legolas looked from the bed to the door, not sure if Bruineth knew that he was also in the room but deciding to use this to an advantage.

"Five! Four! Three!" Bruineth continued her count down in a loud voice. "Two! One?"

Her last number ended in a question for at that moment the door swung open to reveal a blonde Elf giving her a pleasent, yet slightly confused, smile.

Bruineth had always been fast at most of the things she did. Quick thinking and quick in reaction were a few traits she prided herself in. Whether or not her reaction or thought was the correct one tended to be a problem, but she was always quick.

Except now. For once in a long time, Bruineth was frozen in shock. For a full five seconds, the Elleth did not move, did not speak. Her brain seemed to have ceased function due to her surprise and shock. She could not believe what she was seeing. Finally, Bruineth regained her composure and straightened her stance, assuming the air of a self-respecting Elf.

"Do forgive me," she said in a voice much calmer than her previous tone, and completely unnatural for her, "I had the wrong room."

Before Legolas had a chance to speak, Bruineth gave a quick head nod and walked away as briskly as she could without seeming hurried.

"Is she gone?" Legolas heard Fiona whisper.

"Indeed," he replied.

"Oh, good!" Fiona exclaimed, crawling out from under the bed and standing in front of Legolas. With a small bow, she hastened to apologize. "Do forgive me for my intrusion! And thank you for your help! Bye!"

Legolas smiled and opened his mouth to speak, yet, once again, he was not given the chance. Fiona slipped past him and exited the room, running the opposite direction Bruineth had headed. In that moment, she disappeared from sight in complete silence.

_What circumstance was I just involved in?_ the Elf thought.

OOOOO

Once Bruineth was certain that she was out of sight of the doorway to Legolas's bedchamber, she dropped her calm face expression and posture and placed her back to the outside wall of the room. Blood rushed to her face causing it to turn bright red, due to the embarassing encounter with the blonde Elf whom she already disliked. The Elleth curled her hands into fist as she tried to slow her breathing.

_That Fox!_ she thought in anger. _I'll kill her for this one! I cannot believe this!_

It took a while after that thought for her to calm herself down, but Bruineth eventually succeeded in causing her heart rate to return to average speed. With one last deep breath, her face regained it's normal complexion.

"Bruineth! We found you!" a voice called to her. Bruineth turned her head to see Elladan and Elrohir coming towards her.

"Hey, you two," she said in greeting. Elladan stopped and looked the Elleth up and down. She was partially leaning against a wall holding her chest and appeared to be just recovering from running out of breath.

"Are you feeling well, Bruineth? You do not seem very-" Elladan began.

"I'm fine!" the Wolf snapped in frustration. Elladan jumped back at her tone of voice, but soon recovered. Both Half-Elves were used to her behavior and therefore, they did not push the subject. If Bruineth was not going to talk about it, then that was it.

"We came to say goodbye," Elrohir said softly, a note of sorrow in his voice that Bruineth failed to detect. "We already said our goodbyes to Fiona."

Bruineth's head came up. "Fiona? You have seen her? Where is she?" Bruineth demanded, though she did not wait for an answer. As she turned to run of, she heard Elladan call after her:

"Bruineth! Come now! Chasing Fiona on a day like this?" he called to her. Something in the way he said 'day like this' caused the Elleth to stop and turn around. She looked at both of them for a moment.

Then she realized it.

It was going to be a very long time before she saw these two again. This quest was taking her away from them and she realized just how much she would miss them.

Elladan and Elrohir had both been as real brothers to her, always there when she needed them. There playful, and at times annoying, way of showing her that she was loved is what kept them so close. She had known them as long as she could remember and had not been separated from them for as long as this quest was going to be. The twins would not be by her side to assist her or give advice. They would not be there to irritate her to death by helping Fiona stay hidden from her. They would not be there to take a walk in the woods with her on those days when she thought about her parents. The Half-Elves were part of her life; they were her family. And she was leaving them.

Bruineth, driven by a sudden impulse, rushed toward the twins and embraced them both. Elladan looked over at his brother to see that he as well wore a similar expression of shock on his face. This was because Bruineth was not a very touchy-feely kind of person, quite unlike Fiona who had nearly strangled the twins as soon as she saw them. However, the Half-Elves got over their shock and returned Bruineth's embrace.

"Farewell, Wolf," Elladan said softly.

"We will indeed miss you," Elrohir added.

"The same to you, my brothers," Bruineth whispered before releasing them.

"Do not die, please! If you do, we'll kill you!" Elladan laughed to lighten the mood.

"And take care of Fiona, as well! We'll kill you if anything happens to her!" Elrohir piped in. Bruineth laughed her short, deep laugh.

"If you wish to kill me, should something go wrong, you will have to wait in line behind a couple hundred Orcs to do so!"she exclaimed.

The three Elves shared their last laugh that they would have together for a long time.

OOOOO

"The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom. And you who go with him, no oath nor bond is laid for you to go further than you will." Lord Elrond spoke, addressing the entire Fellowship as they stood before him, prepared to leave.

Bruineth stood on the right of Gandalf with Boromir on the opposite side of her. Fiona, nearly hopping in place trying to contain her excitement, stood next to Pippin. Bruineth took a deep breath as she considered what Lord Elrond had said. An oath did indeed hold her to go as far as physically possible; the oath she had made to her mother to live up to her example. The test of this Wolf's value was just beginning.

"Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of Elves, Men, and all free folk be upon you." Lord Elrond lifted his hand in a farewell gesture. Bruineth inclined her head in his direction before turning around to leave.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer," Gandalf announced. Bruineth looked down to see Fiona freeze mid-step as the old wizard spoke. Mentally, the Elleth rolled her eyes.

Frodo hesitantly walked towards the front of the group. He obviously was not expecting to be told to go first, and he appeared to be slightly nervous about it. Bruineth even heard the young Hobbit whisper:

"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"

"Left," was the Wizard's reply. Bruineth followed directly behind Gandalf as they departed from Rivendell, her heart seeming to be light as a feather, yet she felt worried at the same time. If you yourself have never been on a dangerous, life-risking quest such as this one, you will never fully understand this strangly amazing feeling of stepping into a new adventure. Every single different feeling is mixed into one and thrown into your stomach so fast that there is no time to wonder if this was a good idea or not. It is already too far past the turning-back point. There is nothing that can be done now.

The adventure has begun.

"Pippin!" Fiona whispered. "Is Free Folk another race or did Lord Elrond not feel like saying the rest of us?"

OOOOO

As the Fellowship began their journey, Bruineth eventually found her way to the very back of the group walking beside Fiona.

The Elleth looked down at her friend, taking notice of the girl's usual travelling attire. At least, that which could be seen. Fiona wore a cloak draped over her shoulders that covered her entire being. It was fashioned from different pieces of cloth that were all dyed in variations of the color green. These pieces were sewn together in an irregular pattern giving the cloak an odd patchwork design. No one in the group, besides Bruineth, knew the abilities of this article of clothing. With this cloak, Fiona, already quite stealthy and light on her feet, could blend into the background of the forests around her, the strange pattern giving her considerable camoflouge. Bruineth also knew of the weapons that the Fox carried underneath her cloak. Two short, thin daggers that seemed no more than knives in Bruineth's hands, yet were perfectly sized blades in Fiona's. A few even smaller throwing knives were also tucked into the girl's belt.

The two friends walked in silence for a while until Bruineth said,

"Very well then, Fox. Give me the details." Fiona continued walking straight forward, not even glancing at Bruineth.

"You mean the details and information that you would already have had you come to dinner the other night?" she asked in a smug voice. Bruineth groaned in frustration.

"Yes, Fiona. Those details," she all but grumbled.

"Good!" Fiona said happily, looking ahead at the group before them, as if to decide who to describe first. "I'll start with Aragorn. He also goes by Strider, Estel, and a few other names. He is the son of Arathorn and the heir of-"

"Skip him," Bruineth insisted. "I know all about him."

"Oh," Fiona said, "right. Umm, the Hobbits. Merry and Pippin are cousins. Frodo and Pippin are also cousins. Sam is Frodo's gardener. Merry is-"

"Skip them, too," Bruineth said in an annoyed voice. Fiona put a finger to her lips and thought a moment before speaking again.

"Gandalf. A Wizard who-" "Fiona!" Bruineth exclaimed in a highly irritated voice.

Fiona looked up at the Elleth with innocence written all over her face. "Yes, Bruineth?"

"Why are you telling me about people I already know?" Bruineth asked in a quieter, yet still deadly, tone. "Tell me about the people I don't know."

Fiona giggled, but nodded in agreement with her friend's statement. "Oh, all right!" she said. "Don't get so worked up!" Bruineth let out a sigh. "Now then," Fiona stated, dropping the little girl act and becoming serious. "I'll begin with Boromir."

Bruineth looked up and watched the tall Gondorian Man as Fiona spoke of him. "He is the first-born son of the Steward King of Gondor, Denothor. He has a younger brother named Faramir. His weapons of choice are, as you can see, the sword and shield. That horn he carries is the horn of Gondor. He said more, a lot more, but I'll stop there."

Bruineth nodded. "Next," she said.

"Gimli, son of Gloin. He did not speak much of his family. He mostly spoke of the wonderful things the Dwarves have done and accomplished. Although he did mention his cousin, Balin, who lives in Moria." Fiona looked at the stocky figure and once again marveled at the race of Dwarves as she had the night of the feast. She wanted to know more. She would have to ask Gimli more about his homeland sometime.

"Go on, then." Bruineth interrupted the girl's thoughts.

"Oh, yes. That leaves Legolas." Fiona announced.

The Elleth made a strange sound under her breath. Her eyes fell on the graceful figure of Legolas as he walked along with the Fellowship. Her dislike for him grew more and more every time she looked at him. His mere presence annoyed her, mostly due to the fact that her Wolf Stare had no affect on him.

Too busy relishing in her dislike of the Elf, Bruineth was not paying much attention to her friend. "I'm sorry. What was that, Fiona?"

Fiona gave Bruineth an annoyed look. She hated it when people did not listen to her. "I said he is the son of Thranduil, making him the Prince of Mirkwood." she told Bruineth.

Aragorn and Gandalf, who walked near the front of the group, were deep in discussion about which road to take to reach their destination. "We must hold this course West of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. And there, our road turns East to Mordor." Gandalf said to Aragorn and the Ranger started to reply to this. However, he was interrupted by a loud exclamation of _What?_ followed by a loud _Thump!_

The group turned as one towards the source of the noise, directly behind them, to see Bruineth seated on the ground rubbing her head with Fiona standing beside her. The Fox had a look on her face, showing that she was not the least bit surprised by this situation.

"Hey, Bruineth?" she asked calmly

"What?" The noise came out through the Elleth's clenched teeth, making it sound like she had growled the word instead of spoke it.

"There's a tree in front of you."

Merry and Pippin could not contain themselves and burst into laughter. Sam hid his laugh behind his hand while Frodo looked away, a smile spread across his features. Gandalf shook his head and glanced at Aragorn.

"That Elf..." he mumbled to himself.

Boromir, having a slight bit of sympathy for Bruineth, walked over to her and held his hand out. Though he was trying to be polite, he could do nothing about the wide grin on his face.

"Come on, then," he said, as if to encourage her to stand up. Bruineth did not always like accepting help from people when she had been involved in such a humiliating situation. Running into a tree because you were shocked by an Elf's position (an Elf whom you happened to greatly dislike) was definitely a humiliating situation. It would have been worse if everyone knew her reasoning for running into the tree. That said, you may understand Fiona's shock when Bruineth reached for Boromir's hand and allowed him to help her up. The girl's mouth still hung open as Bruineth thanked the Man for his assistance.

The Fellowship continued on their way, a delightful memory forever etched in their minds.

OOOOO

Boromir had a natural love for swords. You may be thinking that it is strange for me to bring this up at such a time, but it is not in vain that I inform you of this Man's interest. He had seen many weapons in his time, but none that compared to the strange contraption that appeared to be strapped to Bruineth's back. Never before had he seen an Elf with such a sword. There did not seem to be a hilt. It simply looked like a long, sharp piece of steel that someone had wrapped a strip of gray cloth around the lower part of. The blade did begin to narrow as it came closer to the grip until it was a cylindrical shape, the typical fashion of a sword handle. The handle widened and came to a point near the end, somewhat resembling a diamond shape. It was also strange to note that the weapon was entirely black. And the sheath that held the sword to the Elleth's back had him confused, as well.

Boromir's curiosity eventually surfaced and he brought the matter of the blade before Bruineth, in hopes that she would speak more of it.

"You have quite a peculiar sword," he stated simply.

"What? Oh, you mean Fang here?" she replied. Boromir looked over at her in confusion.

"Fang? Is that it's name?" he questioned.

"Indeed. Violet Fang is his name," she announced proudly. Boromir nodded.

"I see. The sheath you have it in. Is it not difficult to retrieve your sword from such an odd angle?"

"Not at all," Bruineth replied. "Training for many years can give you the ability to acomplish things you yourself may have never thought possible. I could probably pull Fang out faster than you could pull your sword from your side." Boromir gave the Elleth a sideways glance. His walking slowed as he considered her statement.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked. Bruineth's green eyes flashed as she looked over at the Man.

"I had hoped you would say that," she stated with a smile. Bruineth looked down at Gimli who had taken a slight interest in the proceedings. "Watch carefully, if you would, Master Dwarf, and tell us who draws faster." she said.

Gimli seemed surprised that he was brought into the conversation. "Very well. If you won't settle down unless I do, I'll watch. Mind you'd not go before I give the signal!"he said gruffly.

Bruineth kept her hands to her sides, relaxed, waiting for the Dwarf to speak. Boromir, who seemed to have an advantage, considering his sword was closer at hand than hers, kept his hands down at his side as well.

"Now!" Gimli said.

It was like a flash, a strike. A mere tenth of a second could not have passed. But in some unexplainable way, Bruineth had her sword out and ready a slight, very slight, moment before Boromir did.

"I don't believe it!" Gimli said in a hushed voice. Boromir did not speak, but his face displayed exactly the look Bruineth had been hoping for: pure shock.

Unfortunately for the two competitors, they had not taken in to account the reaction many people can have when their ears detect the familiar sound of steel on steel, the slithering noise a blade makes when being removed from it's sheath. For the second time, all eyes were on our poor Elleth. Looking around, Bruineth realized what she had caused by issuing this challenge. Aragorn was looking at her, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his own sword. Legolas already had his bow out and one arm reached back to retrieve an arrow. The Hobbits were looking around wildly for what could have caused the Elleth to draw her sword, expecting to see an enemy of some kind. Fiona had reached to her sides, ready to whip out her daggers any moment. Gimli shuffled awkwardly and glanced at his surroundings, hoping no one would question his involvement in the situation.

Once everyone had confirmed that there was no danger they seem to all relax at the same time. Gandalf said, with a meaningful look, "Put your sword away, child. There is no danger here." With a sheepish look, Bruineth returned Fang to his place.

"Umm..." Bruineth started. "I was just-"

"No time for an explanation, Bruineth!" Gandalf huffed. He waved his staff in front of him in the direction of the path before them. "Move along, then!" His tone indicated that there would be no more discussion of the incident.

Bruineth was wondering why no one had said a word to Boromir, for he too had pulled his sword. But when she glanced at him she realized something: she may be faster at drawing her weapon, but he was faster at sheathing it. The Man had put it away quickly right before everyone turned to look at the two, after he recovered from his shock.

"Clever, laddie. Clever," Gimli laughed quietly. He had been wondering why Boromir had put his blade away so hastily. Now he knew.

Realizing what he had done to her, Bruineth sent the Man her Wolf Stare when he turned to give her a slightly smug smile. Upon making eye contact, Boromir directed his gaze in front of him and walked ahead to get away from the unnerving glare. As soon as he had, Bruineth's face softened into a satisfactory smile. Her Stare still worked on most people. Even if it did not work on that stuck-up Elf, she was certain it had not lost it's terror.

OOOOO

It had been a few days since the sword competition between Bruineth and Boromir. The Man had once again brought up the name of her sword, asking how it received such a name.

"Ah. That is a good story. I'll have to tell you sometime," Bruineth said.

"Indeed you must. I'd love to hear it, my friend," Boromir responded.

To Fiona's surprise, Bruineth and Boromir got along quite well. Under normal circumstances, it took the Elleth a while to become familiar with a stranger. Yet, since the sword incident, the two seemed to have some sort of understanding between them. On occasion, Gimli brought himself into their conversations, throwing in an opinion or comment of his own. Of course, Bruineth still spoke to Fiona the most, often times in the evenings while they ate.

It was at these times that the Hobbits, usually Merry and Pippin, but Frodo and Sam joined occasionally, would gather around Bruineth and she would tell them of the many adventures her mother had been on.

"Wow," Pippin would always say. "Your mother was amazing!"

To this Bruineth would reply with a far away look, "Yes. She was, wasn't she?"

Bruineth spoke a little to Aragorn and Gandalf, though they always seemed preoccupied, whether they were actually conversing with another member of the Fellowship or if they were lost in thought.

The only one whom she refused to speak with was, of course, Legolas. It was a strange dislike, very near hatred. Fiona knew how Bruineth acted around people she did not like. The Elleth would bother them as much as she possibly could, constantly insulting them in her gruff way. But Bruineth did not say a single word to the only other Elf in their company. It gave Fiona an uneasy feeling to see her friend act this way. She knew that tension within a group of people, particularly a group of people who are trying to save Middle Earth, could cause problems on a later date. Something needed to be done about the situation between Legolas and Bruineth, yet there was little that Fiona could do. Eventually, she decided to let time tell. Perhaps Bruineth would realize how much of a problem this could turn out to be at some point. How far away they were from that point was anybody's guess.

OOOOO

"We shall stop here for a bit," Gandalf announced one afternoon. They were at the top of a hill surrounded by many broken and crumbling boulders. The Fellowship began getting themselves as comfortable as they could. Legolas took the first watch.

"Good! I'm starving!" Pippin said, rubbing his hands together.

"Me too!" Merry agreed heartily, glancing at the sausages Sam was preparing. "Let's eat!"

Boromir shook his head. "Not yet, you two." he said. "Bring me those daggers of yours. I'd like to see how well you can use them."

Disappointed that their mealtime was to be delayed, the Hobbits retrieved their weapons and brought them over to Boromir. Seeing the forlorn looks on their faces and recalling his memory of their love for food, Boromir gave them something to lift their spirits.

"If you do well in this, you can go eat. The better you are the more food you'll get. And," he added with a smile, "how ever many times you can get me, that's how much of my food you will get!"

Merry and Pippin gave each other mischievous looks before responding. "Agreed!" they both said in unison.

Aragorn, who was seated off to the side smoking a pipe gave Boromir a worried, yet amused look. "I'd be careful what to say to them if I were you, Boromir," he told the Man. "I've heard that Hobbits will do anything for food."

"Yeah," Fiona agreed. "You might not get any food at all!" Boromir shrugged, indicating that he had considered this possibility and did not mind.

"Let's begin!" After demonstrating several different moves to Merry and Pippin, he invited them to spar with him. Pippin volunteered to go first. As he fought with the Gondorian, Merry stood off to the side, watching his friend. The chance of eating and earning someone else's food had given his cousin energy burst. He could tell by the excited way Pippin danced in front of Boromir, looking for an opening.

"He's good, isn't he?" Merry jumped at the sudden voice beside him. He looked slightly upward to see Fiona standing at his side. The girl seemed to be able to move without being seen or heard.

"Yes, he is good," Merry responded to her question. "What about you, though? How good are you?" Merry asked. Fiona wore no visible weapons, but who knew what was underneath that strange cape of hers. Fiona glanced down at Merry, a twinkle in her eye.

"Would you like to see?" she said in a dangerously low voice. With a cautious nod, Merry took a small step away from the girl, not exactly sure of what she would do.

In one smooth motion, Fiona had reached under her cloak and withdrawn a small knife, not much bigger than her hand. In the same fluid movement she pulled her arm back and sent it forward in a perfect sideways arc. The knife flew from her hand and sailed smoothly through the air until it ricocheted off of a large rock and headed back in her direction. Seeing the knife coming their way, Merry jumped to the side in fright, not wanting to be a Hobbit pin cushion. Fiona, however simply lifted her arm into the air and caught the knife so calmly it was like she had plucked a still object out of the air.

Merry's jaw dropped as she spun the knife around in her hand before returning it to it's hidden place. Boromir and Pippin, who had paused in their fighting to find out what had just whizzed past them and struck the rock to their left, also looked at the girl in awe. Aragorn chuckled quietly, for it was he himself who had taught Fiona to have such deadly accuracy with a throwing knife.

Deciding that she had been silently praised enough, Bruineth, who was sitting a ways behind Gimli, called out to her friend: "Do stop showing off, Fox!"

Fiona sent Bruineth an annoyed look. "Oh, come on, Wolf! Like you haven't done your fair share of showing off!" she retorted.

Bruineth and Fiona's nicknames were things that did not need to be explained. Their personalities matched up to these names so perfectly, it was almost frightening. Yet at the same time, it was amusing. Merry had even found himself saying 'Wolf' instead of 'Bruineth' several times and the same for 'Fiona' and 'Fox'. It was almost natural.

Pippin and Boromir resumed their sparring.

"Good, very good!" Boromir commented.

"Move your feet!" Aragorn said.

"You look good, Pip!" Merry called encouragement to his friend. Pippin threw Merry a glance over his shoulder.

"Thanks!"he told him.

Bruineth turned her attention from from the sword practice to Gandalf and Gimli, who were engaged in deep conversation.

Gimli took his pipe out of his mouth to speak. "If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note that they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round!" he insisted. The Dwarf leaned forward. "Gandalf, let us pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome."

Bruineth thought about what Gimli was saying. She recalled the old maps she had studied as a young Elf, trying to remember where Moria was. She had never really thought about which road to take. She had simply assumed that Gandalf and Aragorn would lead the way and everyone would just follow them. If they were not going to go through Moria, where else did they plan on going? Bruineth looked over at Gandalf to see what his response to Gimli's statement would be. She was quite surprised to see a strange look of worry, cross over the old wizard's face.

"No, Gimli. I would not take the road to Moria unless I had no other choice," he said quietly. And that was the end of the matter, though Gimli did grumble under his breath something about nobody listening to a Dwarf. With a smile, she patted him on the shoulder and stood to her feet. If Gandalf did not think it was a good idea to go through Moria, then that was fine with her. The wizard tended to know what to do in most situations, and Bruineth was happy to follow. Most of the time, at least. There were times when she thought she knew a better way, but that way usually got her in trouble. Learning from her mistakes, Bruineth decided to go with Gandalf on this one. Not that she didn't like mines, but tramping around underground was not exactly her favorite pastime.

However, as she thought about, she realized that being in a mine could prove interesting. Running, climbing, and scaling along the walls, now those were a few favorite hobbies of hers. If there were two things Bruineth loved doing, it was running and climbing. Feeling the wind rushing past her as she ran, the thrill in her body the higher she climbed, she loved it all. But she most likely would not be able to enjoy herself in the Mines. The Elleth did not think that running, climbing, and scaling were on the list of things you do on a quest to save Middle Earth. Well, perhaps it'd be best if they did not go to Moria. She did not wish to see all of the things she wanted to do and not be able to do them.

All things consider, Bruineth knew that Fiona would be unhappy when she realized that they were not going to the Mines of Moria. She had noticed the little Fox's interest in Dwarves. Anything that would give her more information on the intruiging race would be welcomed by her.

The Elleth's thoughts were interrupted when Legolas suddenly ran in front of her and jumped nimbly up onto a rock. He was watching a grey cloud off in the distance. The way he ran and jumped reminded Bruineth of a cat. Then again, most Elves were like that.

"Ouch!" Bruineth turned around at the noise to see Pippin holding his hand. It appeared that Boromir had accidentally cut him.

"Sorry!" Boromir said immediatly and ran towards Pippin to examine the injury. Pippin, however, did not seem in a forgiving mood, considering the fact that he had not eaten yet. He kicked Boromir's leg out from underneath him. This caught the Man off guard and he fell to the ground. Pippin and Merry both jumped on him.

"Get him!" Merry yelled.

"For the Shire! Hold him down, Merry!" Pippin cried. Bruineth and Aragorn both laughed as they watched Boromir get attacked by the Hobbits. Fiona suddenly appeared and held down the Man's legs preventing him from standing.

"I got his legs!"

"Ow! You've got my arm!" Pippin wailed. Boromir laughed as the three small people tried to pin him to the ground. Aragorn walked over to the group.

"Gentlemen, that's enough!"he told them.

"I'm no gentlemen!" Fiona cried as she and Pippin flipped the Ranger to the ground.

Bruineth shook her head. Aragorn stepped into that one. Literally. She rolled her eyes at the Man, but as she did, she noticed the large grey cloud that Legolas had been observing. And she did not like what she saw. It no longer looked like a cloud, more like hundreds of little black specks flying towards them.

"What's that?" Sam asked, referring to the cloud. Gimli gave a grunt.

"Nothing, just a wisp of cloud," he said. Boromir, who was sitting up from the tussle with Merry, Pippin, and Fiona, squinted at the sky.

"It's moving fast... against the wind," he said in a voice of uncertainty.

"Crebain! From Dunland!" Legolas suddenly yelled.

_Not good!_ Bruineth thought in a moment of panic. Snatching up her sword, she and Aragorn nearly yelled the word at the same time:

"Hide!" Bruineth easily slipped the sheath over her head and onto her back before she grabbed Fiona by the arm, pulling her along. The rest of the Fellowship rushed to gather their things and douse the fire.

"Hurry!" Boromir called.

"Frodo! Take cover!" Aragorn yelled.

Bruineth pushed Fiona into the shelter of the rocks, out of sight, and placed herself in front of the girl. Everyone else soon found their own hiding spots, and only just in time.

An odd sound met their ears: the flapping of hundreds of wings against the wind as the strange birds circled the area they were just occupying. Bruineth felt Fiona grab her hand and she gave it a reassuring squeeze, waiting under the rock until it was safe to emerge..

When the flapping noise had faded, the Fellowship slowly emerged from their shelter. Gandalf looked after the retreating black birds.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage South is being watched," he said. Frodo let out a distressed sigh. Bruineth sent him a sympathetic look, though he did not see it. Fiona still clung to her friend's hand as they all stood there, waiting for Gandalf to tell them which way they would go. "We will go to the Pass of Caradhas." the wizard announced.

As one, the group looked up to the snowy mountain peaks, examining what would soon be their road. Bruineth took a deep breath as the Fellowship began their trek to the mountains. Who knew it was going to become this difficult so soon? With a shrug, the Elleth followed the group, searching through her mind for a bright side to this sudden turn of events.

_At least,_ she thought with a smile, _we will get to climb._

OOOOO

Note: Long Author's Note ahead. Reading is optional.

Some(including myself) may find it annoying to read three pages of an authors note at the beginning of a story, so in future, if I ever have an author's note, it will be at the end of a chapter. You Ranger's Apprentice lovers may have recognized the cloak that Fiona wears as a Ranger's style cloak. Just so you know, the idea for the cloak design was not mine. John Flanagan, author of Ranger's Apprentice, thought it up. I take no credit for it.

I would like to take this moment to thank my wonderful Beta Reader, MisticLight, for if it were not for her help, this story would not exist in the archives of FanFiction. Her stories were what enlightened me to write my own. You readers who enjoy a well-written FanFic would do well to stop by her profile and read her story: Lingering Faith. It is quite a read! Thank you again, MisticLight!

Please review if you'd like! Authors love feedback. For they are the reason we write.

I have several pictures I have drawn of Bruineth and Fiona. If you wish to see them, PM me and I will let you know how to see them. Due to my lack of a proper source of internet, I can only post pictures on Facebook. Therefore, you will need a Facebook page to be able to view the pictures. I apologize if this inconveniences anyone!

Until we meet again,

-Purple


End file.
